


A Few Loose Ends

by Mere_Sprite1847



Series: Tasks [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blow Jobs, Fluff, Frottage, Getting Together, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Headmaster Severus Snape, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-10-19 13:17:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 50,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17602079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mere_Sprite1847/pseuds/Mere_Sprite1847
Summary: The boy was found and the day was saved. Now what?





	1. Chapter 1

Snape should have known that the moment of peace that he shared with Harry in the Hospital Wing would be short-lived. Kingsley Shacklebolt found them not ten minutes after they had come to their tentative understanding. He strode purposefully into the Hospital Wing, smiling benignly at the two of them. Snape noticed with interest that Hermione Granger slipped quietly in after him, hanging back near the doorway. 

“Headmaster Snape, Madame Pomfrey says that you are well enough to be released. If you will follow me, we have a few things to go over,” Shacklebolt said in his calm, gentle voice. 

Harry looked quickly at Snape, confusion in his eyes. Snape had always endeavored to never let anyone see him in distress, so he maintained as impassive a face as possible. 

“Very well,” he said evenly, wondering if Shacklebolt was here in his capacity as an Auror or as a school governor. “Would my office work?” 

He began to stand but was stopped by Harry’s hand coming down on his shoulder. “Kingsley! I already gave my statement. You said there would be no problems!” Harry exclaimed, clearly working himself up into a state. Snape knew that the yelling would start next. 

Snape had never expected to be let off scot-free, even with the good word of the Savior of the Wizarding World, but before he could explain that the rules were different for bitter old suspected traitors, Shacklebolt cut in. 

“Yes, Harry, we know,” Shacklebolt said in a placating tone. “But there are things to be discussed and things that we need to hear directly from the Headmaster himself.” 

Before he could contemplate why Shacklebolt was still using the title of Headmaster, Harry stood up abruptly. “Fine! But I’m coming with him,” Harry snarled. Snape was surprised at Harry’s show of ferocity. 

Shacklebolt only nodded, motioning for them to lead the way. Snape stood up fully, swaying a little on his feet from having been lying down for so long. Harry immediately reached his arm out, allowing Snape to take a hold of it to steady himself. 

“You can lean on me,” Harry said quietly. He looked up into Snape’s face for a moment but his eyes drifted to Snape’s chest and his brow creased. “Wait, Kingsley, can we let him get dressed first, at least?” 

Harry’s words reminded Snape that he was standing where anyone could see him in an extremely thin hospital nightgown. He could feel his cheeks heat a little and he hoped no one would notice. 

Harry did not wait for Shacklebolt to answer, instead urging Snape to sit back down once more. “I think the gargoyle outside of the Headmaster’s office is broken so I’ll just run up and get you something. Kingsley, I’ll be right back.” 

Shacklebolt looked vaguely amused by Harry’s behavior and inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement. 

“Wait, Potter,” Snape started. 

“Severus, it’ll only take a moment and you’ll be more comfortable.” 

“Yes, yes, it’s fine,” Snape snapped. “It’s only…there is a password to my private quarters that you will most likely still need…” 

Harry stared expectantly at him, waiting for Snape to reveal the password, but Snape could only shift uncomfortably on the bed. “Severus? Do you want to whisper it to me?” Harry asked, moving in front of Snape and leaning closer so that all he could see was the side of Harry’s face as he tilted his ear closer to his mouth. 

“Chudley Cannons,” he murmured, cringing at the embarrassing password that he had never expected to actually have to give to another person. It’s not like he had expected many private visitors to his quarters this past year, he thought sulkily. 

He could see Harry’s cheek crinkle into a large smile, clearly trying to hold back his laughter. “The Chudley Cannons? Did I hear correctly?” 

Snape hated to be laughed at and it annoyed him even more that it was Harry doing the laughing. “No, you imbecile. Not _the_ Chudley Cannons, just Chudley Cannons,” he whispered through gritted teeth. “You truly are an imbecile. You would have been hexed into next week if you had said the wrong password. You never listen you, you lit…” 

“Don’t finish that sentence!” Harry bit out. “I’m not an idiot and I’m not laughing at you. I like that that’s your password. It makes you seem like a normal human being, so don’t go and ruin it by being a jerk.” 

Snape only looked away, his eyes finding a thread on the hospital blanket that needed to be plucked at, still feeling angry and embarrassed and now slightly abashed at Harry’s words. 

“I’m going up now. Is that still okay?” Harry waited for Snape to nod before leaning forward to whisper into Snape’s ear. “Do not leave the Hospital Wing without me. I trust Kingsley, but pretty much no one else in the Ministry.” 

Snape could think of several things to say to Harry, mostly about how he was not a trusting fool of a Gryffindor that would follow Ministry officials anywhere they asked him to, but Snape decided silence was the better course after their last little spat. 

Harry rushed out of the Hospital Wing, stopping briefly to exchange a few words with Granger. As Harry hurried away, Granger walked toward him, her intelligent eyes fixed on his face. She was looking at him like he was a difficult piece of homework, a piece of homework that she looked close to a breakthrough on. Snape put his mask back up, knowing that he could hide any emotion that Granger was trying to read on his face. 

“Hello, Professor,” she said quietly. “How are you feeling?” 

“It’s Headmaster, Miss Granger,” he corrected, mostly out of habit. He figured the Board of Govenors had not officially informed him of his removal as Headmaster, so he would hold onto the title until they did. “I feel fine, thank you.” 

“Harry said he’d be right back.” 

“And he set you as my guard dog?” he inquired, satisfied to see Granger’s face go pink. He always liked when he was able to guess correctly. 

Granger shrugged but did not move away from the end of his bed. After what felt like no time at all, Harry returned, sprinting in, carrying a large bundle of black clothing. He dumped it onto the bed and the bundle unraveled to reveal at least two pairs of trousers, a few of his best shirts and his second-best robes. The only robes nicer were his formal dress robes. Harry had managed to cobble together the pieces of his standard Headmaster uniform and his spirit lifted a little. He was glad that he would be able to armor himself in his typical black clothing before he faced whatever was coming. 

“I wasn’t…sure…what you would want,” Harry panted. He quickly moved around the bed, grabbing the Snitch and the Elder Wand off the nightstand and stuffing them back into his pockets. “I’ll just pull the screens around.” 

Snape was left alone for a moment to get dressed and, as he began to sort through the clothing that Harry had brought, he realized that there were no undergarments in the pile. As he tugged on his trousers, being careful of the important bits that would normally be protected from the zipper and button, he wondered if the oversight was purposeful on Harry’s part. Most likely, he decided. He cringed, remembering in a flash that Harry had witnessed his humiliation at the hands of his father and his friends and had thus already had a glimpse of Snape’s underpants. He could feel his face heat and wondered if Harry had remembered it too. 

As he finished buttoning up his robes, he spun a fantasy of how he could show Harry how his taste in pants had evolved over the years, but as he gave the neck of his robes a final adjustment, he shook the thought out of his head. Harry, who was young and attractive and had just saved the entirety of the wizarding world, surely did not care at all about what Snape wore under his clothes. 

But it was nice to imagine. 

He stepped through the screen to find Harry and Kingsley still waiting for him, with Granger hanging in the background. Harry gave him a once-over, a bright smile on his face. “That’s better, isn’t it?” 

“Indeed. Shall we get this over with?” 

The four of them walked on, making their way through the rubble of the school. It was the first time that Snape had seen it for himself and he was stunned. 

“How much of the school is destroyed?” he asked, unable to keep the stricken tone out of his voice. 

“This is actually the worst of it, sir,” Granger piped up. “The Entrance Hall is pretty bad too, but most everything else is intact.” 

Snape could see the Hogwarts house elves in action out of the corner of his eye. They were already quietly working in the dark corners and away from inquiring eyes to clear the wreckage and make the school whole again. 

“Potter?” he asked quietly, wanting this next question to be answered by Harry. He wasn’t sure he could take the answer from anyone else. “How many died in the battle? How many students?” 

“Too many. We think about fifty, but I’m not sure anyone has made an official count yet,” Harry said sadly. “Fred Weasley, Tonks and Lupin, Colin Creevey,” his voice broke and he did not go on. 

Kingsley continued when Harry did not. “The bodies have been moved to the Ministry and the wounded have been sent to St. Mungos. We should have a better idea of the full magnitude shortly.” 

Snape could only nod, too overwhelmed by the carnage around him. In the harsh light of day, it was hard to see how all this destruction had been worth it. He had to force himself to remember the terror that the Dark Lord had already been inflicting and his grim plans for the future. No, this was the better way, he told himself. 

He hoped that everyone who had died here had made the conscious choice to fight, for whichever side they fought for, and that they could at least comfort themselves with the knowledge that they had died for a cause they believed in. He hated the thought that any students had died, but he fervently hoped that the younger children had gotten out. 

Judging from the somber faces of the rest of his group, Snape could tell that thoughts of death and destruction preoccupied them on the silent walk to the Headmaster’s Office. Snape’s own thoughts turned toward his future. Yes, those who had died had mostly likely died fighting for their chosen side, but what of him, whose side was not immediately obvious. Harry had not even really believed him until he saw Snape’s rage against the Death Eaters. Everyone else would have to take Harry’s word for it, having not been there to witness it themselves. Although Snape knew that a fight in the castle between Harry and the Dark Lord would have most likely meant more loss of life, he suddenly wished that the final fight had occurred somewhere a little more public. 

They ascended the frozen steps and entered the office. Snape sat behind the Headmaster’s desk and Granger and Shacklebolt sat down in the chairs in front of the desk, while Harry plopped himself onto the stairs that led to his private quarters. Snape cleared his throat, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. He understood that this meeting would most likely determine his fate and he was resolved to meet it with dignity, at least until he was alone. The thought of Azkaban, Dementors or no Dementors, chilled him. 

Shacklebolt let out a long sigh, sounding worn out. He slumped a little in his chair, as if it was the most comfortable thing he had ever sat in. “I must be honest with you, Headmaster,” he began. “The entire Ministry is in shambles. Dozens of Death Eaters disapparated during your confrontation with Voldemort and the Aurors are stretched thin attempting to apprehend them before they re-form or flee the country. Not to mention the staggering amount of Ministry officials who have mysteriously stopped showing up for work as well. We do not know if they had been Impeurised or if they were true supporters of Voldemort so we are having to sort that out as well. Like I said, it’s a mess. Hell, they’re even talking about making me the next Minister of Magic,” he said, laughing slightly at the apparent absurdity of that idea. 

Snape was not sure what this had to do with his situation and he drummed his fingers lightly on the desk, inwardly imploring Shacklebolt to get to the point. 

“With that being said,” Shacklebolt continued more seriously, as his joke fell flat. “The Ministry has too much work to do and too few people to do it and we do not need to be wasting time on matters that are, in my mind at least, already settled. Harry has told me about your role in the war and I believe him. This interview’s purpose is to check a box on a report that will be filed away and forgotten in the depths of the Ministry.” 

Hope began to rise in Snape’s chest, a giddy bubbling feeling, that he tried to tamp down until he understood for sure what Shacklebolt seemed to be telling him. 

“I see,” he said. “Is there anything you need to ask me? Or information that you may need for your report?” 

“Is what Harry has told me true? That you spied for our side, feeding us information and misdirecting Voldemort and his Death Eaters? That the killing of Dumbledore was a mercy killing? That you gave vital information to Harry that allowed him to kill Voldemort once and for all?” Shacklebolt asked. 

“Yes,” Snape said without hesitation. “It’s all true.” 

“Excellent,” Shacklebolt said, abruptly standing up, a large smile on his face. “I think we are done here. Thank you for your time.” He extended his hand toward Snape and it took a moment for his body to catch up to what his ears had just heard. He hastily shook Shacklebolt’s hand, before moving to show him out of the office. “Oh, I should also probably mention that the Board of Governors, as you well know, is made up of mostly Ministry officials. I doubt we will be able to convene any time soon. If you could please continue on as Headmaster until further notice, oversee the rebuilding and the beginning of next year, I’m sure we would all appreciate it.” 

Snape was stunned. In the space of less than ten minutes he had been told by the next Minister of Magic that the investigation into his role in the war was over and that he was still Headmaster. Granger hurried out after Shacklebolt asking about how to obtain an international Portkey, of all things, and soon only Harry and himself remained in the office. Harry was grinning goofily at him, like it was Christmas morning and Snape was the biggest gift in the pile and Snape was suddenly overwhelmed. Exonerated, employed and the recipient of a smile like that. All while wearing no underpants. It was too much. 

Snape leaned onto the desk he was still standing next to, one hand coming up to cover his eyes. The room seemed too bright all of a sudden and he realized that he needed to sit down. Almost immediately a surprisingly strong arm came around his middle and he was being pushed into his chair. 

“Severus! Are you okay?” Harry asked. When Snape didn’t respond, he went on. “This is a good thing, isn’t it?” he asked, with a tiny hint of panic in his voice. 

“I need a drink,” Snape said, making to stand up again. 

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Harry said, forceful hands pushing him back down. “I’ll make you a drink…as long as making you a drink only involves pouring the contents of a bottle into a glass. I don’t know how to make anything fancy…” 

“Anything will do, Potter,” he snapped, flicking his wand at the panel next to his desk to reveal a liquor cabinet. Harry quickly poured some Firewhiskey into a glass and pressed it into Snape’s hand. Snape slowly sipped it, feeling himself slowly calm down and begin to wrap his head around the events of the last half hour. 

“Don’t you want to be Headmaster?” Harry asked tentatively. 

Snape sighed, reluctant to reveal his true feelings, but finding himself wanting to share his feelings on the subject with Harry. “Yes, Potter, I have long since thought I might be able to do some good as Headmaster. There are things that happen at Hogwarts that could be greatly improved upon. I have many ideas, none of which I ever thought I would actually be around to see implemented. Of course, I suspect that I will not be Headmaster for long. Perhaps only a year or two, until the bulk of the reconstruction and the recovery from the Battle is completed. All I can do is make the most of the time that I have,” he mused. 

They were silent for a while, Snape sipping on his whiskey and thinking of the magnitude of the task ahead of him. Harry was staring into space, clearly not really seeing anything around him. 

“Well, I should go,” Harry finally stated. Snape knew it was only a matter of time; Harry could not actually stay forever. “I have to go to London and…wrap up some loose ends. Grimmauld Place, Gringotts…” 

“Of course, don’t let _me_ keep you,” Snape sneered, letting his emotions get the best of him. 

Harry turned his head slightly, giving Snape a searching look. “I’ll be back. Most likely well before September, but, if not, I will be seeing you on September 1st. I plan on attending next year and getting my N.E.W.T.s,” he said, holding Snape’s eyes. “It seems to me that your next year as Headmaster is going to be difficult and I don’t want to make it any more difficult than it has to be. I certainly don’t want to jeopardize your position.” 

“What are you trying to say, Potter? Be clear…for once in your life,” he grumbled. 

“You know, your cruelty act is getting less convincing the farther we go along. I’m in danger of beginning to think it’s cute…,” he teased. Snape turned his fiercest glare on Harry so he continued. “Okay, okay. I thought that maybe this…situation between us could go somewhere. I’m still trying to figure my own stuff out…who I like and why. I realize now that I never thought I’d live this long, so I never really stopped to think about it. I had been thinking we could explore things between us.” Harry trailed off, looking imploringly at Snape. “There is _something_ , right? Or am I imagining things?” 

It was hard for Snape. Hard for him to be honest. To be emotionally vulnerable, especially when it sounded like Harry was about to tell him bad news no matter what his answer was, but this was a new era, for both the Wizarding World and for Severus Snape himself. Perhaps he could start with being honest. “No, you’re not imagining…things.” 

Harry gifted him with his most brilliant smile. “Good, good,” he enthused, before turning serious. “But pursuing any sort of relationship while I’m a student and you’re the Headmaster seems like it’s begging for disaster. I think you’re right: your position here is uncertain and I won’t be the reason you lose it.” 

“I guess this is good-bye then. I’ll see you in September, Potter,” he said, putting his glass down and picking up a quill, pretending that he was about to start writing very important notes to himself to hide his emotions. They hadn’t even gotten started and it was already over. 

“You’re not listening to me, Severus,” Harry said, clearly exasperated. “We can’t do anything while I’m a student. The minute I’m done with N.E.W.T.s, we’re going to see where this goes. I promise. I’ll be back for you and we’re going to give it a proper go.” 

A whole year. Snape knew well that a year for a seventeen-year-old was practically eternity, but he saw no reason to disabuse Harry of his idealistic notions. If he thought he’d be back in a year, let him believe it. Snape knew better. He barely had any shot with Harry as it was but letting him out of his grasp for a year doomed the endeavor from the start. 

“Very well, Potter,” he said. “I shall see you in September.” 

“Or sooner,” Harry protested, moving toward the door and opening it. “Good-bye…sir,” he said, giving Snape one last small smile. 

Snape loaded his quill with some ink and did actually begin a new sheet of parchment with notes to himself. He wrote TO DO at the top and underlined it twice. He had much to do and not very much time to do it in. He would have to pine over Harry Potter later. 

He only hoped that when Harry inevitably dated next year, he would be discreet. Snape grimaced. 

It was going to be a long year.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Headmaster Snape,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I made it safely to London and I am staying at Grimmauld Place, if you need to write to me for any reason. I will be spending the next several weeks trying to close the house here and attending too many funerals to even mention._

_How are the renovations going? Is there anything I can help with?_

_Sincerely,  
Harry_

==/==/==

_Dear Headmaster Snape,_

_I hope you are doing well and that it is not too hot in Scotland. It’s fairly brutal in London. Cooling charms can only do so much. I’ve been visiting my godson, Teddy Lupin, quite a bit lately. He’s a Metamorphagus like Tonks and every time he sees me, his hair will turn black and his eyes will turn green. He is so smart already._

_How are your preparations for next year coming along? Is there anything I can help with? I hope you are getting enough sleep._

_Sincerely,  
Harry_

==/==/==

_Dear Headmaster Snape,_

_I am going to the Burrow for a week, in case you need to address a letter to me. Did I tell you that Ron has decided not to come back to Hogwarts? He’s going straight into the Auror Academy. He wanted me to go with him, but I think I may have had enough chasing down madmen for a lifetime._

_Do you have all your staffing for next year squared away? Let me know if I can help._

_Sincerely,  
Harry_

==/==/==

_Dear Headmaster Snape,_

_I wanted to let you know that while I’m staying at the Burrow this week that I will be doing an interview with Luna Lovegood’s father for the Quibbler to tell our side of the story of what really happened in the Forest. I know that you will probably not like that, but I think that it’s important. The Daily Prophet is already starting to hint that we’re lying and I don’t want that for you._

_Sincerely,  
Harry_

==/==/==

_Dear Headmaster Snape,_

_I have rented a room over the Three Broomsticks until school starts. Please meet me there tonight for dinner._

_Sincerely,  
Harry_

_P.S. This is my new owl. His name is David. I’ve instructed him to stay until you write me back. Ron has let me know that he can become quite shirty if he thinks you’re not writing back fast enough._

==/==/==

_Potter,_

_I will be there at 6 o’clock. I will also be sending you the bill for cleaning the blood out of my robes from the wounds that your infernal owl has inflicted upon my person._

_SS_

==/==/==

Snape’s eyes swept over the small crowd at the Three Broomsticks, immediately seeing Harry in a corner booth, fiddling nervously with his half empty glass. It had been a little over a month since he had last seen Harry and he immediately noticed how much better he looked. More filled out, surely thanks to Molly Weasley’s cooking, and the black rings under his eyes were practically gone. The little jerk had the temerity to be even more handsome than Snape had remembered him to be. In the matter of a moment, a month’s worth of work of ignoring both his own feelings and Harry’s letters was wasted. He felt exactly the same, if not stronger.

He marched over to the booth, his robes flaring behind him and he was satisfied to see the impressed once-over that Harry gave him as he saw Snape approach. Harry stood as he approached and Snape was impressed by Harry’s efforts at civility, despite the anxiety written on his face. 

“Hi! You came,” Harry said, smiling softly at him. 

“I said I would,” Snape replied. “Though I don’t think I had much choice in the matter. That bloody owl of yours is a nuisance.” 

“Yes, I see that extensive damage that he, um, how did you put it? Did to your person,” Harry said, making a show of looking over Snape’s exposed hands and his face and neck. 

“Clearly I healed myself,” Snape sniffed. 

Harry only laughed and just like that, he could feel them both relax. The moment was interrupted by Madam Rosmerta coming around to take their order. 

As she bustled away, Snape turned his eyes back toward Harry and caught him staring at his face. Harry quickly looked away at having been caught, a slight blush filling his cheeks. 

Harry pulled a copy of the Quibbler out of his pocket and handed it across to Snape. “I thought you might want to read through the article before it officially came out. Mr. Lovegood asked that I tell you to be very careful with that – it’s an advanced copy.”

Snape paused in his perusal of the garish cover to raise an unimpressed eyebrow to Harry. “Oh, yes, we wouldn’t want the Quibbler’s rapid fanbase to get a hold of last week’s answers to the crossword puzzle too soon.” 

“Be nice,” Harry mildly admonished him, his words tempered by his fond smile. Snape mentally shook his head at the very idea of Harry smiling at him at all, let alone with clear fondness. What a difference a month or two could make. “But…are you mad at me? For doing the interview?”

“I assume you were your usual heroic self? Painting everyone around you in the best possible light? Undoubtedly making me look like some sort of tragic, yet heroic figure?” he asked sardonically. Harry only shrugged uncomfortably, Snape’s words having clearly hit on the truth of the matter. “Then why should I be mad? I would have expected nothing less from you.” 

Harry looked relieved and seemed happy to move on from the topic. He cleared his throat. “I actually wanted to ask your advice about something else,” he started. “You said you would help me with the…things.” 

Harry’s attempt at subtlety was very amusing to Snape. “Potter, you know how to cast privacy charms. Why don’t you just do that and get on with the discussion?” 

“Oh, I already did. I can’t seem to help myself any more. I even have a Muggle repelling charm up, not that I need it here. I’m just a little paranoid. Especially when talking about the Wand,” Harry said, looking around, his voice dipping to a whisper. “Especially in a wizarding bar,” he added, clearly remembering the story of Three Brothers well. 

“I see. Well, go on. What’s your question?” Snape asked. 

Their food arrived just then. “Just bill your room, love?” Madam Rosmerta asked Harry. 

“That’d be great. Thanks,” Harry replied, smiling at the barmaid as if getting asked how he would pay for his meal was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for him. 

“Actually, we will require separate checks,” Snape cut in. This was not a date and he would not allow Harry to pay for him out of any sense of obligation or, worse, pity. He could feel Harry glaring at him, but he didn’t care. 

As they dug in, Harry began to speak again. “It’s just…it’s funny, right? For a long stretch of time this spring, there was not a wand in the world that answered to me. Mine had broken and none of the other wands we came across would work right for me. Not even Hermione’s,” he said. Harry had a disconcerting way of stating things that were of monumental import as if they were nothing at all. Snape knew that the time Harry had spent without a proper wand in the middle of the war against the Dark Lord must have been terrifying, but one would never know if they took Harry’s words at face value. “And now I have three wands! My own original wand that I fixed with the Elder Wand, the Elder Wand itself and Draco Malfoy’s wand, which is how I was able to take control of the Elder Wand in the first place. It feels a little ridiculous.” 

“Hold on a moment. What do you mean, you have Draco’s wand?” Snape asked. 

Harry quickly relayed the slightly complicated history of the Elder Wand’s most recent loyalties and Snape was amazed. “So that was why the Dark Lord called me back from the battle?” he asked. “He thought _I_ was the master of the wand?” 

“Yes, I believe so,” Harry said, his voice full of sympathy. “I thought you knew that or I would have told you sooner.” 

Snape realized, for possibly the first time, just how close he had come to being killed by the Dark Lord in the Shack. “Wait…is that why he crawled toward me, instead of attacking you for the second time?” 

Harry looked pained. “Yes, I think so. I think he thought he failed the first time because his wand was still loyal to you. It seems to me like he thought that he could kill you first…and then finish me off for good,” Harry said. His face turned fierce. “But I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t have let that happen,” he said, imploring Snape to believe him. 

“Give me a moment to process all of this, Potter. Eat your dinner,” he said. 

“You called Draco by his first name,” Harry said a little quietly, as if he didn’t really want it to be heard but needed to say it anyway. 

“I have known Draco since he was a child. He was a member of my House for seven years,” he said coldly. He could see Harry shift in his seat, a frown pulling down the corners of his mouth. Was Harry Potter jealous of his relationship with Draco Malfoy? “So, yes,” he continued, allowing a little warmth into his voice, “I do call Draco by his given name. But I am not eating dinner with him at the Three Broomsticks in the middle of summer. In fact, I have not seen any of the Malfoys since the night of the battle. And nor do I ever wish to again.” 

Harry seemed to brighten at that and he tucked in to his dinner. 

“That’s part of my problem, you see? I have no idea where Malfoy is. Kingsley thinks that they all ran off to France, but the Ministry hasn’t started to pursue them yet. So I don’t know how to get Malfoy’s wand to him,” Harry said. 

“You would return Malfoy’s wand to him? Willingly?” Snape asked, incredulous at Harry’s apparent naivete. 

“Well, yes. I don’t want it.” 

“Then chuck it in a drawer somewhere. The wand is loyal to you so it wouldn’t do Malfoy any good even if you were stupid enough to return it.” 

“I don’t think it would be stupid!” Harry said hotly. “I think it would be kind! The Wizarding World won’t get back on its feet if we all hang on to our old grudges.”

Snape knew that Harry was not wrong in his assessment, but he did not feel like arguing. “Whatever the case may be, Malfoy is gone. Stick it in a drawer and if Malfoy ever shows his face again, we can cross that bridge then.” 

“Okay. We can figure that out later…when the time comes,” Harry said, seemingly happy with that decision made. “But what about the Elder Wand? I don’t think I can just chuck that one in a drawer. It’s so…powerful and so dangerous. I feel like I have to keep it with me at all times. I try not to use it though. In fact, I haven’t. Not since I repaired my own wand. What do you think I should do with that one?” 

Snape tried not to be distracted by the feeling of warmth that filled him as Harry looked at him with complete trust in his eyes. Harry _wanted_ Snape’s help, not as a spy or as a Potions Master, but as a friend. Perhaps that was the answer. He knew Harry would move on, but maybe this friendship could persist. It would have to be enough. He thought for a moment about Harry’s problem with the Elder Wand and he did not want to let Harry down by offering less than his best advice. 

“Hmm…that one is more difficult to contend with. You say that you haven’t used it at all?” Snape asked, waiting for Harry to nod his head. “I think that may be your problem. You are placing too much importance on it. Any mundane little task that you would use your own wand for without even thinking about it, use the Elder Wand. Use it to…reheat your tea or Summon your socks. Maybe the allure will come off it a little.” 

“That’s brilliant, Severus!” Harry exclaimed and then winced. “Sorry, I mean Headmaster. I’ve gotta start getting used to saying Headmaster now, huh? Wouldn’t want to slip during the school year. But I really think that might work. I don’t think I can give up my own wand completely, though.” 

“Nor would I expect you to. It is not unheard of for witches and wizards to have two wands.” 

Harry seemed to be satisfied with the answers that Snape had provided and after only a few more minutes of small talk, they said their good-byes. Snape felt better about any future interactions they would have, now that the first dreaded meeting was over. He did roll up the copy of the Quibbler and tucked it carefully into his pocket. He would need to know what Harry had said about him and their encounter with the Dark Lord in the Forest before they met again.

==/==/==

Their next encounter was much sooner than Snape thought it would be. Just a few days after their meeting in the Three Broomsticks, Snape was sitting at his desk, working on plans for the school year, when he heard his Floo activate and Harry’s panicked voice come through.

“Severus? Severus!” he yelled. Snape immediately dropped his quill and strode across the room to kneel in front of the fire. 

“What is it, Potter?” 

“Can I come through, please?” 

“Fine, hold on a moment,” Snape said, wondering what kind of mess Harry had found himself in this time. “You have to remove your head, Potter. Give me a second to adjust it and then come through.” 

Less than thirty seconds later, a very distraught Harry came through and immediately started babbling. “The Goblins, Severus!” he exclaimed, waving his hands around wildly, making Snape wonder if an army of Goblins was about to come pouring out of the fireplace behind Harry. “I went there…to take care of Malfoy’s wand. I tried…I tried to get some of my gold and they…the Goblins! They’ve locked my account!” 

“Potter!” Snape shouted, cutting across him. “You are panicking. Sit,” he said, pointing at the nearest chair, satisfied that Harry immediately plopped down in it. He poured Harry a small glass of Firewhiskey and handed it to him. “Drink all of that…slowly, think about how to explain what has happened, and then tell me what’s going on.” 

Harry took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes, and slowly sipped his drink. After a few moments, he seemed much calmer.

“I needed some gold, for school supplies and to pay for my room and board at the Three Broomsticks, and I wanted to put Malfoy’s wand in the vault. I thought that would be the best place for it,” he explained. He gulped a little, clearly about to get to the trouble. “When I got there, the teller scurried away and got his supervisor and he took me to an office. He said…that my account was locked and would be for the foreseeable future.” 

“They can’t do that. It’s your gold,” Snape said, wondering what the Goblins were playing at. 

“They said I had to pay reparations. For their building and for the loss of their dragon,” Harry said miserably, his eyes misting a little. “I know that gold isn’t everything, but…it was like my security blanket. I didn’t have to decide anything right away or worry too much because I always had that to fall back on. I want to work and earn my own money, I do. But I was just getting used to the idea of being able to take some time to make my _own_ decisions about my own life and…I didn’t realize until it was taken away how much I had been relying on it.” 

Snape was incensed. How dare the Goblins! “Have you contacted the Ministry about this? They cannot take a wizard’s gold away on a whim. Especially not Harry Potter’s gold given to him by his parents. We shall go right now and speak with Shacklebolt,” Snape declared, standing up, ready to take action. 

Harry grabbed his sleeve before he could go further. “No! No, that’s not what I want! I don’t want this to be a Harry Potter _thing_ and I especially don’t want this to be a wizards versus goblins thing!” he begged. “Besides…they offered a solution to the problem.” 

“Potter, if the solution is anything other than them reopening your vault with a sincere apology then it is unacceptable,” he growled. “You owe them nothing!” 

“But that’s not true! I broke into a vault that wasn’t mine. I destroyed their building! I don’t regret freeing the dragon, but I did lose them that too. And I…I didn’t treat Griphook fairly. I knew I was lying to him and I justified it as being for the ‘greater good,’” he said in a small voice. “My actions got him killed. So, I do think I owe them _something_.” 

“I suppose we shall just have to agree to disagree on that point,” Snape replied, resuming his seat. “What was this offer they made you?” 

“Well, it was a job, actually. They said that I could finish my schooling and then come work for them. We would sign a contract for two years…”

“You have not signed anything yet, have you?” Snape asked, worried that Harry had inadvertently signed his life away in his panic. 

“No, of course not! I told them I would answer them within the week.”

“You will not sign anything from the Goblins before I have the chance to review it, do you understand?” Snape said, worried that Harry would think he was being controlling but unable to fight the urge to protect him. 

Harry only looked relieved. “You’ll look the job contract over, then? You’ll help me?” he asked. 

“I told you I would help. It seems my lot in life is to look after you so why stop now?” Harry laughed. He really was getting too good at seeing through Snape’s façade. “Did they offer you a specific job or is that to be determined later? Are they going to make you clean their toilets for the next two years?” 

Harry laughed again, looking much happier and relaxed than he had at the beginning of their conversation. “No, nothing like that. They actually offered me a really cool job. They want me to be a Curse-Breaker, like Bill Weasley used to be.” 

“This would be a job you would have wanted if you were not being blackmailed into it?” Snape inquired. 

“Well, I’m not sure I would have ever voluntarily wanted to work with the Goblins, but yeah, the job itself is appealing.” Harry let out a sigh. “I always feel better after talking to you. Thank you.” 

Harry stood up and headed back to the fireplace. “I’ll get out of your hair now. I’ll come back with the job offer when I get it? Maybe you could join me at the Three Broomsticks again for dinner?” 

“That should be fine. You should talk to Bill Weasley as well. He knows the Goblins better than anyone and will be able to help you avoid any of their traps.”

“Good idea, Headmaster,” Harry said, with just a bit of cheek. “I’ll write you next time, instead of just bursting in.” 

He reached for the Floo powder and was just about to take a handful when he turned back to Snape with a serious expression on his face. “Do Goblins use regular sized toilets? Or do you think they have special Goblin-sized ones?” 

“I have no idea, Potter,” he said, refusing to let Harry know that he was amused by his adolescent humor. “I will now surely lose sleep over the question…” 

Harry was laughing as he threw the Floo Powder in and whirled away.

==/==/==

A few days later, David the owl arrived with a letter from Harry asking to meet at the Three Broomsticks that night. The owl did not stay for a reply this time, Harry obviously assuming correctly that Snape would be there at the appointed time. On the walk into Hogsmeade, Snape reflected that he had gone entirely soft for the boy. He wondered when Harry would begin to realize that he could not say no to him. Snape could only hope that if Harry did discover his weakness, he would not use it against him.

Harry was waiting for him again, looking considerably less nervous this time around. “Headmaster!” he called, standing up to greet him. “Thank you for agreeing to see me over the summer,” he said loudly. Snape rolled his eyes at Harry’s rather obvious bit of playacting. Luckily there were few patrons in the pub and none of them seemed to even notice that they were there. 

“Sit down, Potter,” Snape said peevishly. “I assume you have the offer letter from Gringotts.”

“Yes, right here,” Harry said, handing over the roll of parchment to Snape. 

Madam Rosmerta took their order and Snape read through the letter as they waited for their food. It seemed fairly standard, but there were a few things to clarify before he would recommend Harry sign it. However, before he gave his suggestions, he wanted one last crack at convincing Harry not to give in to the Goblins at all. 

“Are you quite sure that you want to do this? I firmly believe that you could fight this, without making it a _Harry Potter_ thing or even a goblins-wizards thing,” he started. “In fact, I did a little research and this is not the first time they have attempted this sort of…”

“You sound just like Hermione,” Harry cut in, smiling at Snape in an indulgent sort of way. “She told me all about the other cases. I know that I could probably get out of it, but I’ve made my decision.”

Snape did not appreciate Harry’s tone or his casual dismissal of his research. “I apologize,” he said coldly. “I had thought that when you asked me for help that you would actually listen to me, but apparently the great Harry Potter is so arrogant that he does not even feel it necessary to listen to advice that he asked for. Next time, do not bother asking at all.” 

Harry flinched as though Snape had slapped him, his face filling with hurt. “I do want your advice and I’m sorry that you did that research for nothing. I had told you last time that I was going to take the job. I thought you understood that.” 

The food came just then and they both made a show of picking at it, pushing the food around their plates. Snape was too upset to eat much and he thought the same must be true of Harry. 

It was Harry who broke the silence, putting his fork down. “I’m not that person…the person that you seem to think I am. I’m not the ‘great’ Harry Potter, I’m not arrogant and I am _not_ my father. I’m just me and I had thought that you were starting to realize that. But I guess not,” he spat out. “I guess I was stupid for thinking that things could be different now; that you might be one of the handful of people in the Wizarding World that would actually accept me for who I am. Someone who would see me for who I really am and not what they want to see, but I guess not,” he repeated, pulling his napkin out of his lap and throwing it down on the table. “Sorry for wasting your time.” 

With that he stormed out, taking the stairs to the lodging rooms two at a time. Snape sat there, stunned by the turn of events that had just occurred and furious with himself that he had made Harry angry enough to leave. He knew that Harry was not his father and that he was not, in fact, arrogant at all. Self-confident, yes, but in way that was so much quieter than his father had ever been. A way, that unfortunately for Snape, he found to be extremely attractive, just like everything else about Harry. 

He knew that there was nothing to be done for it; that any relationship that they may ever have would be doomed from almost the very beginning. Snape was too old and too mean to ever be able to hold someone as young and as beautiful as Harry for long, but the tightness in his chest at leaving Harry angry felt exactly the same as it did when he had called Lily a mudblood. He had clearly not put in enough of an effort then to make things right and he was determined not to make the same mistake with her son. The world was different now, Harry was right about that. Snape knew he would have to be different too. 

He still had the offer letter from Gringotts, so he made his way to the bar. He pulled out his money bag and paid Madam Rosmerta for both of their dinners. “Harry forgot his letter when he left. Could you tell me which room he’s staying in?” 

“Of course. Room number 7. Up the stairs and to the left.” 

“Thank you,” he replied, turning to make his way up to Harry’s room and proverbially throw himself at his feet and beg for forgiveness. The thought was distasteful but losing Harry was the worse fate by far. 

He knocked, having little idea of what he was going to say. Harry opened the door immediately, but did not move away to let him in. “Yes?” he said, his voice thick, and Snape could see the eyes that were not quite meeting his were red. His stomach dropped at the thought that he had made Harry cry. 

“I came to apologize. I should not have said what I did. I was wrong,” he said, wondering if it was enough, but he could see that Harry was not moved by his words. He leaned further in toward the door, lowering his voice. “Harry?” The quiet question made Harry look up finally or maybe it was the use of his first name. Now that Snape had his full attention, he was determined to make good use of it. “I know that you are not your father. Nor are you your mother. Nor the Boy Who Lived and then Lived Again. I know who you are and I do not think that you were wrong in your assessment that I am one of the people in your life who will always see you for who you are. I say things that I don’t always mean when I’m angry, I lash out at the people closest to me. A muggle therapist would probably have a field day with the reasons why I do it, but…I cannot seem to help it at times. But I am sorry and I hope that you can forgive me.” 

“Do you promise never to do it again?” Harry asked, still subdued. 

Snape hesitated, not wanting to make a promise he could not keep. “I promise to try to never do it again and I promise that I will always apologize when I am in the wrong.” It was the best he could do. It would either be enough or it wouldn’t; that was up to Harry to decide. 

“I’ll hold you to that, you know that right?” Harry asked, the light coming back into his eyes just a little. 

“I would expect nothing less from you.” 

Harry stepped back then, opening the door a little wider, revealing a large bed. “Would you like to come in?” 

The answer was a decided yes, of course, he wanted to come in, his mind supplying an image of how they could put the bed in the center of the room to good use, but he could recognize how terrible an idea that would be. 

“I’m afraid I cannot, Mr. Potter,” he said, raising an eyebrow at Harry. “I do not think that would be appropriate behavior for a Headmaster and a student.” 

“Oh, right. Of course, sir,” Harry replied, subdued again, and Snape knew he would torture himself later wondering what exactly made Harry sound disappointed by his answer. 

“I shall write you with my suggestions for the offer letter, if that is acceptable.” 

“Yes, that’s fine,” Harry said, giving Snape a long look before beginning to close the door. “Good night, sir.” 

“Good night, Potter.”

==/==/==

Snape immediately wrote his promised letter upon his return to Hogwarts, but other than a short note thanking him and letting him know that he had been allowed access to his vault while he was in negotiations with the Goblins, he had not heard from Harry in over a week. He was worried. He had thought that all was forgiven, but maybe he had been too hasty in his judgement.

Perhaps the distance was for the best. They could not pursue anything while Harry was a student and Snape had always known that Harry would lose interest in him over the long year in front of them. That didn’t mean he had to like it, Snape thought petulantly. 

After a particularly long day of working on his extensive plans for the next school year, overseeing the veritable army of house elves that were responsible for the school’s reconstruction and actively _not thinking_ about Harry Potter, Snape decided it was time for a break. He had been thinking about Harry’s upcoming birthday and he had already thought of the perfect gift. It would require a trip to London to visit Diagon Alley, so Snape ensured that he had his money bag and left his office, deciding to Apparate to London rather than Floo into the Leaky Cauldron. The walk out of the grounds would give him the opportunity to stretch his legs and get some much-needed fresh air. 

Just as his foot hit the last step of the stairs out of the office, Harry came around the corner, smiling as he caught sight of Snape. 

“Hello! Were you leaving?” he asked. 

“Yes, I was on my way to London actually,” he replied. “Did you need something?” 

“I wanted to let you know that I talked with Bill Weasley and made the changes to the contract that you both suggested. I signed it and sent it back to the Goblins. I officially start at Gringrotts next September,” he said.

“Very good, Potter,” he said, beginning to walk away. Harry trotted after him and Snape paused. “Was there anything else you needed?” 

“Well, I had also wanted to talk to you about my classes for next year, but I can come back another time,” he said, looking a little disappointed. 

Snape motioned for Harry to walk along beside him. “I was planning a short walk before I left. We can go around the Lake and talk,” he said and Harry fell into step beside him. Snape was always surprised by how much shorter Harry was than him; he was at least a full head shorter than Snape. His mental image of Harry was larger than life, so it wasn’t until these moments, when they were in close proximity that Snape remembered. “Typically, students speak to their Heads of House about what classes they will take.” 

“Oh, right. I guess that’s true. I didn’t think about that. Should I wait to speak to Professor McGonagall?” 

“You’re here now and Minerva has not returned from her holiday yet,” Snape said evenly. “What are your plans for next year?” 

“Well, I want to drop Divination, Astronomy, History of Magic, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology,” Harry stated, already looking apologetic. Snape was surprised and the slightest bit disappointed, if he was honest with himself. That would only leave Harry with four classes, though it was strange that he chose the easier of his subjects to drop instead of the more difficult ones. 

“So, you choose to only pursue your N.E.W.T.s in Potions, Defense, Charms and Transfiguration, is that right?” he said, holding the front door of the castle open for Harry and hoping that his tone did not give his true feelings away. 

“Yes, only those subjects for N.E.W.T. testing, but I want to sit the O.W.L. exams for Arithmancy and Ancient Runes at the end of this year too,” Harry replied. 

Snape paused on the steps and Harry stopped too, one step above him. They were at eye level now and Harry looked nervous. 

“From what I recall, you have never taken an Arithmancy or Ancient Runes class and yet you want to take the O.W.L. for those subjects?” Snape asked, continuing down the stairs and onto the grounds. He was curious about Harry’s sudden interest in these new subjects, before putting the pieces together. “Is this a requirement from the Goblins? Not only do they blackmail you into a job, they make you take extra subjects to qualify for the job?” 

“No! The Cursebreaker job does typically require O.W.L.s in those subjects, but the Goblins never asked me a thing about my qualifications,” Harry hurried to explain, clearly seeing that Snape was angry. “I had actually already been studying using Hermione’s old books and notes before any of the stuff with the Goblins happened. I’m taking it as a sign that the Gringotts job was meant to be.” 

“If you think that’s a sign, perhaps you should stick with Divination,” Snape retorted. 

Harry laughed, stepping a little further into Snape so that Harry’s jean-clad leg brushed against his robes with every step. “Well, sign or not, I do want to take those subjects. I was actually at Hogwarts today to talk to Professors Vector and Babbling about what the best way to go about it would be. They both agreed to independent study with some private tutoring from each of them. However, they did say that I would need to ask your permission first,” he finished, looking hopefully up at Snape. 

“Potter,” Snape began, noting with interest that Harry’s face fell when the permission was not immediately granted, “as Headmaster of this school, I respect each of the subjects that we offer here. However, I worry that you are exchanging the…least challenging of our classes in order to cram three years of study into two of our most difficult classes.” 

“You don’t think I can do it,” Harry said sulkily, his shoulders slumping. “You didn’t think I was smart enough to be an Auror and you think I can’t handle this now.” 

Snape rushed to his own defense, a little shocked that Harry brought up his objection to him being an Auror. It seemed like such a long time ago that he would say or do anything to pick a fight with Harry. “No, it’s not that. I think if you set your mind to it, you can achieve it, whatever your aim might be. I just wonder why. Why these courses and why now?” 

“Well, they sound interesting and they are! I’ve already worked through the first two chapters of Hermione’s Ancient Runes textbook. Arithmancy is a little harder, but Professor Vector is going to give me some additional reading to get me started. So I know I can do the work and…I feel like I need to have all my options open for whatever might happen after Hogwarts and Gringotts. All the jobs I look into all require at least an O.W.L. each in Arthimancy and Ancient Runes. I want to make the best use of this last year and I think those subjects will help me the most.” The hopeful, expectant look was back on Harry’s face. “What do you say? Do I have permission?” 

“Yes, of course, Potter,” he said as they rounded the lake. 

“Thank you!” Harry exclaimed. “I promise I’ll do well in all my subjects. I’m excited to see what I’m capable of when I’m not being hunted down by a psychopath.” 

Snape couldn’t help but agree with Harry’s glib assessment. He knew that there was untapped potential in him and he was also excited to see what Harry could do. They walked along the lake, his robes continuing to gently brush against Harry’s legs, both seeming content to enjoy the warm evening and each other’s company.


	3. Chapter 3

Snape’s trip to Diagon Alley was a success, Harry’s birthday present tucked safely in his desk drawer. Now he only needed to decide when to give it to him. The sickeningly hopeful side of Snape was telling him to ask Harry to dinner the night of his birthday and give him his present then. But Snape was sure that Harry would be busy being feted by everyone else in his acquaintance on his actual birthday. He would not risk the rejection that would inevitably come from his request, nor, he thought with a shudder, would he risk an invitation to whatever obnoxious birthday party the Weasleys were sure to hold for Harry. 

It turned out that he did not have to worry at all about what he was doing on Harry’s birthday, as it was decided for him by the Ministry of Magic. It was Harry who came to break the news to him a few days before the end of July. A formally worded request for a meeting from Harry was the first clue that he would not like whatever Harry had to tell him. 

Harry came to the meeting in an unusually nice set of robes and looking very serious. “Hello, sir? How are you?” he asked, with none of his usual exuberance. 

“Potter,” Snape replied, nodding for Harry to take a seat in front of his desk. “What’s this all about?” 

Harry cleared his throat and shifted slightly in his chair. “Kingsley asked me to come here and pass along a message to you from the Ministry.” 

Snape knew it was too good to be true; that Shacklebolt had spoken too soon about his future as a free man and Headmaster of Hogwarts. That they had Harry deliver the news was cruel, even for the Ministry, not that they could have known Snape’s true feelings toward the boy. 

“Well…go on. What is the message?” Snape asked stiffly. 

“You’re being awarded the Order of Merlin, sir. Along with me, Hermione and Ron on the 31st of July,” he said and Snape wondered what the problem was, why Harry wasn’t more pleased by this news. As the news sunk in, he was amazed that this honor was to be his. “They wanted me to tell you and invite you to the ceremony.”

“That seems like it would be good news to most witches and wizards. Do you not think I deserve one?” he asked, purposefully goading Harry in the hopes that he would divulge whatever was obviously plaguing him.

“No! That’s not it at all! You, Ron and Hermione are getting Order of Merlins _Second Class_. I’m the only one that they’ve awarded a First Class to and it’s ridiculous! If I deserve the First Class award then so do all of you…not to mention all of the people who fought at Hogwarts.” Harry was yelling by now, standing up in front of his chair and waving his arms, seeming to be very offended on his behalf. “I tried to tell them that I wouldn’t accept the award unless all of us were awarded equally. I even suggested that they give me the Second Class award as well, but they wouldn’t do it!” 

Snape was stunned. The thought that the man who killed the Dark Lord would not get the Order of Merlin, First Class was absurd. Harry very clearly knew little about how Ministry politics worked. 

“Potter,” he started calmly, thinking of how to explain the situation to him. “You said that the ceremony was to be on July 31st, correct? Why do you think the Ministry would schedule it for your birthday?” 

“You know when my birthday is?” Harry asked excitedly, completely distracted from the problem at hand. “Wait! I don’t know yours! When is it?” 

“January 9th. Potter, focus!” he snapped. “Why do it on your birthday?” 

Harry looked miserable again. “I would assume to make it all about me and what I did, but that’s not fair! I had so much help along the way…” 

“Yes, and _some_ of the people that helped you are being recognized. What you have to realize is that the Ministry, even under Kingsley Shacklebolt, wants to use you as their poster boy. It is up to you how you deal with that responsibility.” 

“But I don’t _want_ that responsibility. I never asked for it, just like I never asked for any of this,” Harry said petulantly. 

“You are being almost obscenely ungrateful. Do you really think that the world cares what you think about your lot in life? Care that you didn’t ‘ask for it,’ whatever that might mean?” Harry looked ashamed, Snape’s words clearly making an impact. “If you do not want this responsibility, then you should move to a remote island and resolve to live alone for the rest of your days.” 

“You’re probably right, sir. Would you come to visit me…if I lived on a remote island?” he asked hopefully. 

“There is no probably and, no, I’m much too busy to be traveling to remote islands to visit anti-social outcasts who shirk their responsibilities. The question before you is not ‘how do I get rid of this responsibility,’ it’s ‘how do I use this responsibility to my own advantage’” he stated and, seeing Harry about to object, he held up a hand before adding, “or if you are determined to be a Gryffindor about it, ‘how do I do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people?’” 

That answer seemed to satisfy Harry. “So, you think I should…take control of the ceremony and make sure I approve of it…of its outcome?” He could already see the wheels beginning to turn in Harry’s head at his words. 

“Yes, exactly,” he said, glad that Harry was starting to come around to his way of thinking. “Do you have any ideas about what you would like to see happen during the ceremony? Or have you been spending all your time sulking about not wanting to do it at all?” Snape asked, arching an eyebrow at Harry. 

“Oh, shut it,” he muttered grumpily, before taking a second to think. “You’re right, though. I think they will try to make things all about me and I don’t want that. Maybe I could ask Kingsley if I could make a speech and I could talk about the people who helped me?” At Snape’s encouraging nod, he continued. “And I could make sure that we’re all awarded at the same time, not you three and then me at the end.” 

“Those all sound like good ideas and reasonable requests that the Ministry would find hard to refuse.” Harry’s face lit up at Snape’s praise.

After a moment of silence, Harry looked up at Snape through his eyelashes. “There is one thing that I would like to see changed and this might be the time to do it, but you might not like it.” Snape motioned that he should go on, so Harry continued. “It’s just…Peter Pettigrew was awarded an Order of Merlin and I cannot think of a less deserving person than that _rat_ ,” Harry spat, clearly still very angry about Pettigrew’s betrayal of his parents. “If anyone deserves recognition, I would think it’s Sirius. If Pettigrew received the award for confronting Sirius, then Sirius should receive it for the true version of events. So, perhaps I can get Pettigrew’s Order revoked…and given to Sirius instead?” 

Harry looked at him nervously. They had not mentioned Harry’s godfather since their renewed acquaintance and Snape could not help the familiar hatred and anger that surfaced in him at the mere mention of Black’s name. He could feel the sneer on his face and he could see Harry struggle with what to say. 

“I’m sorry, Severus. I know you don’t like him. I should have never brought it up,” Harry began apologetically. 

“You can bring up anything you want to me, Harry,” Snape said, knowing that closing off conversation between them about people that Harry held dear would not be positive for any future that they might have and Snape did not want to be responsible for any road blocks on that path. “It’s true – I did not like Black. For a variety of reasons. But…your logic is correct and I do wholeheartedly agree that Pettigrew should not be allowed to keep his Order of Merlin.” Harry smiled tentatively at him. “You should speak to Kingsley about your ideas…and if you need help with your speech, please let me know.” 

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help,” Harry replied. “I’ll probably take you up on your offer on the speech. I don’t think I’ll be very good at it. But…I don’t know how all our conversations become about me and all my problems. How do you feel about the Order of Merlin? Are you very upset that it’s not a First Class?” Harry asked anxiously. 

“You worry too much Potter. Of course I’m not upset about the Second Class. A great number of very accomplished witches and wizards have been awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class, so I shall be in good company. Frankly, I have been relieved these past few weeks that I am not wasting away in Azkaban, a fate that I had resigned myself to years ago. The idea that I will be recognized in front of the entire British wizarding community is…almost unthinkable. So, no, I am not upset at all.” 

“Oh good. I’m glad. I still think that you…and Ron and Hermione deserve more, but if you’re happy, then I’m happy,” he declared. “I did fight for you though. Ron said I was being ridiculous. That I should just be grateful, which I guess is what you said too. But you just say it so much more reasonably…” 

“I appreciate the effort, Potter, unnecessary as it was.” Snape debated with himself for a moment before pulling open his desk drawer and pulling out Harry’s gift. It was not wrapped, but Snape thought that this might be a good moment to give it to him. He handed the plain box across to Harry, who took it with a quizzical expression on his face. “Since it seems that we will both be busy on your birthday, I thought I should give you your gift now.” 

“You got me a gift?” Harry asked, holding the box as if it is was his Order of Merlin itself. “You…you didn’t have to do that.” 

“It is not extravagant. Just something that I thought you might find useful.” 

Harry stood up and placed the box on the desk in order to pull the top off and he grabbed out the items, confusion written all over his face. “Oh cool. Um…what are they?” he asked, clearly not wanting to hurt Snape’s feelings but having no clue what he was holding. 

“They are wand holders. They strap around your forearm,” Snape explained, coming around the desk to stand in front of Harry. He took one of the wand holders from Harry and examined it. “This is the one for your right arm. Here, let me show you how to put it on.” Snape took Harry’s hand and pulled up the sleeve of his robe to his elbow. “This is the end that holds the tip of the wand and these straps go around your wrist,” he said, fastening the straps to Harry’s slender wrist. “And these go just below your elbow.” 

Snape only realized how close they were standing when Harry looked up at this face, his mouth slightly open, a dazed look on his face. Snape was still holding Harry’s arm between them and he allowed himself to revel in how soft the skin in the crease of Harry’s elbow was, running his thumb over the skin just there. Harry licked his lips and Snape could not look away from them. Harry swayed slightly into Snape and it took a monumental effort not to surge into him and kiss him breathless; to push him down to the ground and…

“Do the other one?” Harry asked, his voice a little high. 

“What?” Snape asked stupidly, having lost the thread of what they were actually supposed to be doing. 

“The other holder. Fasten it to my other arm?” Harry asked again, pulling up his other sleeve. 

“Oh, right,” he muttered, shaking his head a little and beginning the process again on the other arm. “They have a built-in Featherlight function, so you shouldn’t be bothered by them. You place your wand in here,” he explained pointing to the opening. “All you have to do to retrieve your wand is to flick your wrist. It’ll take a little practice, but it will soon become second nature, if you choose to use them.” 

He stepped away, flicking his own wrist slightly and perfectly catching his wand in demonstration. 

Harry swallowed hard and fished both of his wands out of the robes of his pockets. Snape could not imagine what Harry would do if he was attacked. The wands were in separate pockets and they took several seconds a piece to extract. Seconds that would be precious in a duel. Harry slid the wands into their holders, looking satisfied at the way they clicked in place. 

“I always wondered how you were able to pull your wand seemingly out of thin air. I assumed magic,” Harry said. 

“No, not magic. Spring-loaded mechanics…,” Snape said, moving back to sit behind his desk to remove himself from the temptation of being close to Harry. “And a bit of flair.” 

Harry grinned. “You are a little showy, aren’t you? The robes, the wand?” 

“I do like to make an impact, especially when I think it can help me,” Snape admitted. 

Harry stood up, shaking his sleeves over his new wand holders. Instead of walking to the door to leave as Snape expected, Harry surprised Snape by walking around his desk to stand next to him. “Thank you, Severus, for my gift,” he said quietly, leaning down and placing a soft kiss to Snape’s cheek. Harry lingered for a moment, before whispering in his ear. “I love it but I love that you thought to give me a gift at all.” 

Snape could feel his cheeks heating and knew he had to be visibly blushing. He was glad that Harry walked away then, because he was not sure how much longer he could take being close to Harry without kissing him and Harry’s walk to the door gave him time to compose himself…at least a little. 

“And, sir?” Harry called back after he opened the door. “Congratulations on the Order of Merlin. You deserve it…and so much more.”

==/==/==

Snape waited for Harry to send him a copy of his speech, but it never came. He Floo’d in to the Ministry at his appointed time, a full hour before the ceremony was to begin. Apparently, there was to be an extensive dress rehearsal. Snape did not understand what was so difficult about hanging an award around four people’s necks, but he would do as he was told.

He approached the small group around the makeshift stage and could see Harry in the middle of it. Harry looked markedly nervous, despite his extremely handsome black dress robes that set off his pale skin and green eyes quite nicely. 

“Harry, you have to calm down!” Granger snapped at him. “You’re getting yourself all worked up.” 

“I know! I know, okay?” Harry said miserably. As Snape approached, he heard Harry continue. “I should have had you and Se…the Headmaster look over my speech. I don’t know why I was so bloody secretive about it.” 

“Mate, you’re going to make yourself sick,” Weasley said unhelpfully. 

Snape could see Luna Lovegood and her father on the fringes of the small crowd and Lovegood was the first to see his approach. “Headmaster! We’ve been waiting for you…Father and I are here to do a story for Harry. He said we needed to take your picture in particular…” 

“Ms. Lovegood, Mr. Lovegood” he said, nodding his acknowledgement. 

Harry had apparently heard Lovegood’s declaration and turned to him, sagging a little in relief. “Thank God you’re here, Headmaster,” Harry said. 

“Why? Is there some sort of emergency?” 

Weasley snorted. “Only if you count one of the recipients in imminent danger of sicking up all over his new dress robes an emergency.” 

“Shut up, Ron!” Harry exclaimed, blushing deeply. “I’m fine. I’m not nervous,” he said stubbornly. 

“Ah, so I guess I should not bother offering you this Calming Draught?” Snape asked, pulling out a vial and wiggling it slightly between his fingers. 

“Oh god, yes, please,” Harry moaned, reaching for the vial, all bravado gone for the moment. 

Snape pulled it back from Harry’s hand. “Half now, Potter, then we will see how you feel before the ceremony. I will not be responsible for you being an Inferi up there.”

“Yes sir,” Harry said, carefully taking only half the vial. Snape ignored the raised eyebrows of the surrounding people who were clearly surprised at the interaction between himself and Harry. Granger was giving him the same thoughtful expression she had worn in the Hospital Wing before his interview with Shacklebolt. 

A smartly dressed Ministry official came up just then, snapping her fingers and directing them where to go and when to go and how to go and Snape found himself grateful for the hour allotted to them. With five minutes to go, she ushered them behind the curtain and the crowd began to filter in. Harry had looked calmer and calmer as the hour ticked down and Snape pulled him aside. 

“Do you think you need the rest of the Calming Draught?” he asked quietly. 

Harry shook his head. “No, I think I’ll be okay now. Thank you.” 

“Why didn’t you let anyone see your speech?” Snape inquired curiously. He had thought Harry would have let someone see it so he was surprised that Harry had apparently not shown anyone. 

“I don’t really know,” Harry groaned out. “It’s a little…personal and I guess I was just a little embarrassed. Somehow it seemed easier to share it with the whole world at once, rather than share it with you or Hermione or Ron alone.” 

Snape could sort of see Harry’s reasoning there, but he still thought it foolish. 

“Oh! I should tell you,” Harry started, speaking quickly, the ceremony about to begin at any moment. “I invited Dennis Creevey to the ceremony. He was a Muggleborn a few years younger than me and he’s not sure he’s going to return to Hogwarts next year. I’m trying to convince him…maybe you could speak to him and his parents?” 

Snape knew of the Creeveys. His main objective for the month of August was to track down and convince the students who had been expelled or had fled because of their blood status to return to Hogwarts. He was surprised to hear that Harry was at least partially aware of the problem and willing to lend a hand. 

Before he could say anything, they were called to the stage and the ceremony began. Shacklebolt gave what amounted to a very mundane, cookie-cutter sort of speech, but he notably concluded with the news that Peter Pettigrew’s Order of Merlin was to be revoked and Sirius Black was to be awarded an Order of Merlin, Second Class posthumously. Snape could tell that many in the crowd did not know of the story of Sirius Black, but they applauded when Harry was the one to accept Black’s medal from Shacklebolt. Granger and Weasley clapped the loudest for Harry and his godfather, but Snape could not bring himself to celebrate anything to do with Black. He was, however, pleased to see that Harry looked happy and at peace as he gazed fondly at Black’s medal. 

Then it came their turn to receive their Orders of Merlin and it seemed that Harry had gotten his way again, with all four of them receiving their medals back-to-back. Snape was first and received very little applause, though Harry did beam excitedly at him as he resumed his seat, and Harry was last and he received the most applause, which was, of course, not surprising at all. 

After Shacklebolt had placed the medal around Harry’s neck, he stepped aside, as they had rehearsed, letting Harry step to the podium to give his speech. 

“I would like to say thank you to the Ministry on behalf of myself, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Severus Snape, for the honor of awarding us the Order of Merlin,” he began, sounding stiff and overly formal. He cleared his throat a little and continued, sounding a little easier. “If I may, I would like to take a moment to tell you about my friend, Colin Creevey. Colin was a year behind me at Hogwarts and in Gryffindor with me. He was Muggle-born, his father a milkman, his mother a homemaker. He came to Hogwarts much as I did, completely unfamiliar with the wizarding world. I envied his wide-eyed innocence and wonder at the literal magic that surrounded us. 

“In his fourth year, a few of us decided to form a Defense study group in order to be better prepared for our exams and Colin and his brother Dennis were among the first to sign up. The Creevey brothers were enthusiastic and could be quite powerful _if_ their energy was pointed in the right direction,” Harry paused, as a few members of the audience chuckled at his reference to the Creevey brothers endless exuberance. “In order for our little club to communicate with each other, Hermione Granger had performed a Protean Charm on fake Galleons so that we could pass messages. 

“In my sixth year, Colin’s fifth, Death Eaters were allowed into the school and we used the coins to call for help. Dennis tells me that Colin’s regret over not having the coin on his person when the call for help came was so great that he vowed never to be parted from the coin again. 

“On the night of the Battle of Hogwarts, Neville Longbottom sent another call for help through the coins and this time, Colin was determined to answer – to do his part in the fight. His parents were both Muggles and they had taken their two magical sons into hiding when Voldemort came to power. When Colin attempted to join the battle, his parents tried to block him from leaving. Dennis told me that Colin said, ‘Harry Potter needs me’ and Apparated away, straight into the battle at Hogwarts. 

“Colin Creevey died that night, only sixteen years old. Like so many, he was killed to help me in my quest to rid the world of prejudice and hate. I tell you this story, because I worry that the history books will only tell of my singular accomplishment…and not the long line of witches, wizards, Muggles and magical creatures that sacrificed their lives so that I could ultimately be at the right place at the right time. 

“So, let us remember the Colin Creeveys, the Charity Burbages, the Remus Lupins, the Frank Bryces and the Dobbys of the world who made these Orders of Merlin possible. Without them, and so many more, we would not be here today. 

“Thank you,” Harry concluded, his voice cracking slightly at the very end, and with that, Harry quickly walked off the stage. All of the Ministry officials, along with Granger and Weasley, looked around in confusion. That was not what the Ministry official had told them to do. Harry was supposed to sit and Shacklebolt was supposed to say some closing words, but Harry was clearly far too emotional from his speech to sit back down. Snape rose smoothly from his seat, throwing the slightest of glares toward Granger and Weasley, imploring them to stand up and leave as well. If they all left the stage, Harry’s exit could, hopefully, end up looking like it was on purpose. Luckily, the sidekicks got the hint and they all filed out. The crowd rose to their feet, applauding them as they left the stage. 

They found Harry not far off the stage, his body turned into the curtains and his hand covering his face. Granger and Weasley both rushed to him, pestering him with questions. Snape stood in front of the group and glared at anyone who even glanced in their direction. 

“I’m okay,” Harry said, sniffling a little. “Ugh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was going to be like that.” 

“Don’t worry about it mate,” Weasley said. “It was a great speech. I didn’t know any of that stuff about Colin…” 

“To be honest, I hadn’t either until Dennis wrote to me,” Harry replied, his voice still a little thick. “Oh no! I need to go check on him! He’ll be wondering where I am…” 

Harry tried to get past Snape, but he was having no part of it. “Not so fast, Potter,” he said. He held up a hand as Harry began to protest. “There is ten more minutes before the reception is officially scheduled to start. You are not abandoning anyone by standing here and taking a moment. Now, do you need the rest of the Calming Draught before you go out there?” 

Harry took a second to think on the question before answering. “I don’t think so. I think I’m alright. But…you will be here for the rest of the night, right? In case I do end up needing it?” Harry asked, looking unaccountably anxious. 

“Of course. All you have to do is ask,” Snape replied, looking down at Harry while he smiled up at him. Snape could see Granger and Weasley exchanging a knowing look behind Harry’s back. As Harry moved past him to move on to the reception hall, Snape raised his eyebrow at them and Granger returned the look to him, while Weasley slowly shook his head. 

“I told you, Hermione, he’s gone completely mental,” Weasley whispered as Snape turned his back to them. 

“Oh, stop it, Ron! I think it’s cute,” Granger replied. 

Snape smirked, thinking to himself that they were both correct.

==/==/==

Harry went immediately to the Creeveys when he entered the reception hall, deftly avoiding all the high-ranking Ministry officials that tried to stop him. He could see Harry shaking the hands of Dennis and Mr. Creevey and hugging Mrs. Creevey. Harry pointed at the seat next to them and they eagerly asked him to sit down and they became completely absorbed in conversation, even as people were clearly becoming anxious that the guest of honor was not mingling. They looked very serious for a few long moments, but eventually they began to laugh and Snape walked behind them on one of his laps around the room and could hear Harry regaling them with a story.

“…and so Ron is throwing up these _huge_ slugs everywhere and Colin just thinks this is the greatest thing to ever happen and he starts taking pictures, right up in Ron’s face,” Harry said, laughing along with the Creeveys, pretending to hold up a fake camera, right in Dennis’s face. “I had to practically shove Colin out of the way so that I could get Ron to Hagrid’s cabin…” 

“Sounds like there’s never a dull moment at Hogwarts, eh?” Dennis’s father asked. 

“I’ve certainly never been bored there,” Harry replied. “The person who made Ron puke slugs was turned into a ferret for a while during fourth year, so he got his comeuppance eventually.” 

“Wait! It was Draco Malfoy that cursed Ron?” Dennis asked excitedly and Harry nodded his head. “Ugh, I should’ve known. He was always such a git.” 

“Dennis! Language!” 

“Sorry, mum…but he was, wasn’t he Harry?” Dennis asked, looking at Harry like he hung the moon. 

“Well…no, you’re not wrong. He’s one of the students that won’t be returning next year, seeing as how him and his family are wanted for questioning for their role in the war,” Harry said and the Creeveys nodded seriously at Harry’s words. 

Snape wandered away then, not wanting to make it obvious that he was eavesdropping on Harry. After a few more moments, he could see Harry leave the Creeveys, a relieved look on his face. He immediately looked around and when he spotted Snape, he quickly weaved his way through the tables to stand next to him. 

“Count Dennis Creevey in for next year,” Harry sighed in relief. 

“You have convinced him to return?” Snape inquired. 

“I think he wanted to return, but his parents were nervous and he was worried about what Hogwarts would be like without his brother. I just gave him a nudge in the right direction,” Harry said modestly. 

The sidekicks came up just then, Weasley pressing a glass of champagne into Harry’s hand. 

“Careful with how much you drink tonight, Potter,” Snape said, thinking of his earlier dose of Calming Draught. 

“Oi! Harry’s an adult, he can drink whatever he wants!” Weasley retorted obnoxiously, clearly having already drunk his fair share of champagne. 

“Yes, and he can wake up tomorrow with a raging headache because he mixed alcohol with a Calming Draught too, for all I care,” Snape snapped and moved to storm away, but Harry caught his sleeve. 

“Good point, Headmaster. I hadn’t thought about that. Thank you,” Harry said, glaring at Weasley, who looked only slightly embarrassed. 

The silence that fell was awkward and Granger cleared her throat. “Headmaster, have you filled all the teaching positions?” 

“Yes, actually. Slughorn has agreed to one more year and a few Americans have come over to teach Muggle Studies and Defense,” Snape replied. “However, it is the students that I am more concerned about for next year…” 

Weasley snorted loudly. “The same way that you were _concerned_ about the students last year, I bet.” He could see Harry and Granger both cringe at Weasley’s rudeness. 

“I assure you, Mr. Weasley, that this year will be nothing like the last, seeing as there is not a homicidal maniac on the loose,” Snape said coldly, turning away this time with the intention of leaving for good. He knew better than anyone what had happened last year and he did not need Ronald Weasley to rub it in his face. 

He strode away and Harry didn’t stop him this time. He made it almost the entire way to the door, before being waylaid by Luna Lovegood. 

“Oh…Headmaster, you aren’t leaving, are you? We still need to take pictures. Harry was very particular about that,” she mused softly. 

“I’m afraid I am, Ms. Lovegood. If you’ll excuse me,” Snape said, moving around her and heading toward the door. 

A surprisingly strong hand clamped down on his forearm. “Harry was _very_ particular about it,” she said sternly. “It is his birthday, you know?” 

Not really knowing how to respond to Lovegood’s uncharacteristic insistence nor her well-timed guilt trip, he allowed himself to be steered back toward Harry and his sidekicks. He was annoyed to see that Harry looked miserable, but happy to see Weasley looking shame-faced and Granger looking as if she could spit fire, glaring all the while at the unhappy face of Weasley. 

“Harry!” Lovegood called out as they approached. “Look who I found! He forgot all about the pictures we were supposed to take, what with all the Wrackspurts fluttering around tonight.” 

Harry smiled mischievously at the sight of them together, his eyes immediately going to Lovegood’s hand still tightly holding onto his arm. “Thank you, Luna. It seems Wrackspurts are going around tonight,” he said, glaring at Weasley. 

“Shall we take the pictures now Harry?” Lovegood asked, her hand slipping off Snape’s arm and reaching in to the bag slung over her shoulder and pulling out an ancient looking camera. She must have noticed Snape’s appraisal of the camera. “It used to be my mother’s. She took all the pictures for the Quibbler and I thought I might do the same…” 

“That sounds lovely, Luna,” Granger replied kindly, before turning business-like. “How do you want us?” 

Lovegood spent the next several minutes arranging them into various groups to take pictures with their medals and then taking individual portraits of each of them. Weasley insisted that all the Weasleys in attendance join him, Harry and Granger in one picture and Lovegood had to take several large steps back to fit them all in the frame. It did not escape Snape’s notice that Ginny Weasley wormed her way next to Harry for the picture. 

He did not have to worry about them for long, because as soon as Lovegood was finished with the larger group of Weasleys and moved on to just Ronald and his parents, Harry came directly to stand next to him. 

“Don’t think I haven’t realized that we haven’t gotten our picture together yet. I hope you’re not trying to escape it,” Harry said, smiling up at him. 

“Whatever Mr. Potter wants, he gets it seems,” Snape said, his response dripping with sarcasm. 

“Yeah, sure. Are you going to smile in the picture?” Harry asked, tilting his head and looking thoughtful. 

“And why would I do that, Potter?” 

“Well there’s a first time for everything. I’ll be smiling and I thought it might be nice if you did too,” Harry replied. 

“Unlikely,” was all that Snape said in response. 

As the Weasleys filed away, Lovegood turned toward the pair of them.

“Just a couple of more? Is that alright Luna?” Harry asked politely. 

“Of course,” she said, arranging them next to each other. She snapped a few photos and Snape kept his promise to remain stoic. 

“Sir?” he could hear Harry whisper out of the corner of his mouth. “Severus?” 

“What is it, Potter?” he whispered impatiently back. 

“Have you given any more thought to the size of Goblin toilets? Have you lost much sleep?” Harry asked, turning his head and smiling in a playful way up at Snape, leaning closer to him. 

Snape could not help the snort that escaped him, nor the half-smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth at Harry’s ridiculous words. Harry turned his head back to Lovegood and Snape could well imagine the bemused smile that he was wearing for the last several photos. 

As Lovegood turned away, Harry began to laugh. 

“You’ll pay for that, Potter,” Snape whispered viciously into his ear. 

“Oh god, sir, I know,” he said, still laughing. “It was worth it though.” 

“Come on, Potter. I have something to discuss with you and Granger,” he said, satisfied that Harry followed easily along behind him. They spotted Granger bending the ear of an elderly witch about who knew what and Harry caught her eye, giving her a look that seemed to perfectly communicate his desire for her company. She quickly made her excuses and joined them. 

“Hello,” she said smiling. “Done with all your pictures?” 

“Yeah, thank goodness. It’s turning in to a rather long night, isn’t it?” Harry asked, stifling a yawn. “The Headmaster said he wanted to talk to us about something.” 

“I was wondering if you would both help me with the task of convincing more of your classmates to return for next school year. I had already been thinking of how to go about this, but Harry’s work with Dennis Creevey has convinced me that you two are the best for the job,” Snape explained. 

Harry looked stunned but proud, his eyes comically wide behind his glasses, but Granger, of course, had an objection. “Oh, no, sir. That was all Harry.” 

“Yes, but Harry might not be able to convince everyone by himself. Who better than you to show that Muggleborns should not be afraid to come out of hiding and rejoin the wizarding world?” Granger blushed slightly at Snape’s words, clearly hearing the compliment that he intended. “Besides, Potter could use someone with some good sense to keep him organized.” 

“Aha, now I know my _true_ purpose,” Granger said, smiling teasingly at Harry. “He could definitely use the help with that. Couldn’t you, Harry?” 

“How did this turn into a pick-on-Harry moment?” Harry asked, looking slightly put out, before turning to Snape. “I think what Hermione means is that we’d be honored to do it.” 

“Oh yes, of course! It sounds like a fun challenge…and important too!” Granger enthused.

“Very well, I have a list of names of all the people who received their letter inviting them back to Hogwarts but have not indicated that they plan on returning. I will get you that list tomorrow morning. Perhaps you can report back on August 15th on your progress?” Snape inquired politely. 

“Yes, sir,” Granger said, looking for all the world as if she wanted to salute him. She turned slightly to Harry. “We need to make up a name for ourselves. Something official that we can call ourselves.” 

“We do?” Harry asked skeptically. 

“Of course!” Granger replied, looking offended. “The Muggleborn Repatriation Task Fo…no I don’t like that. Hmm…how about the Committee for the Repatriation of Undecided Muggleborns? That sounds good, doesn’t it?” 

“Committee!? There’s only two of us!” Harry said, looking bewildered. 

“What does that matter?” Granger returned hotly. “The Headmaster asked us to do this and it’s of critical importance! We should sound official. I’ve decided that that will be our name. C.R.U.M.,” she said, sounding each letter out individually. 

“Crum? Hermione, no,” Harry said, sounding tired. “Everyone will think we’re a Viktor Krum fan club.” 

Snape decided this was a good moment to slip away, just as Granger explained that “that was absurd – everyone knows that Viktor’s last name starts with a K – honestly Harry!”


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear Headmaster Snape,_

_Thank you for the list of names that you sent to me and Hermione for our project. We’ve already started to look through them and we are making a game plan. We think we can at least speak to everyone and their families before the 15th._

_Hermione says that we need to send you daily progress reports but I told her that that seems excessive. What do you think?_

_Sincerely,  
Harry_

Snape smiled at the letter from Harry, imagining the argument that the two of them had gotten into about daily reports. Harry was clearly trying to get Snape to take his side and he was glad that he agreed with Harry in this case. Daily reports _were_ excessive and he was glad he could come down on Harry’s side. 

_Potter,_

_The only progress report I need is the one we already have scheduled for August 15th. Please do reach out if I can be of particular help for anything, but other than that, I will see you both in two weeks._

_SS_

Snape spent the next two weeks meeting with his staff and ensuring the castle was completely ready. He could tell that Granger and Harry were having success, judging by the number of last-minute meetings with students that his Head of Houses were having with returning students, and he was anxious to hear the full run down of how it went. 

If he was also anxious to see Harry again for personal reasons, then that was his own business. 

The day before his meeting with Harry and Granger, he held his first full staff meeting of the year, a task that he was increasingly nervous about. He had met individually with everyone on staff, but to face all of them together again was not a happy prospect. The few staff meetings there were the previous year had been fraught and tense. 

He was shocked, then, when he was given a standing ovation when he entered the staff room, everyone looking more or less happy to see him. He looked around, nodding slightly at those he made eye contact with, willing himself not to blush. He let it go on for only a moment, before he held up his hand. “If you are quite finished,” he said, the applause dying off slowly. “Thank you. Now let’s get on with it.” 

“Severus,” Minerva piped in from his right-hand side. “I just wanted to say, with everyone here, how sorry we are that we mis-judged you last year.” Snape was gratified to hear those words and smiled slightly at Minerva as she continued. “I, especially, should have known that Headmaster Dumbledore would not have put his trust in the wrong person and I apologize for not trusting in him and you.” 

Snape nodded stiffly and they allowed him to finally get on with his plans for next year. They all seemed impressed and happy with the changes that Snape was planning to make, with several volunteering to help out with the various initiatives. In every measure, the staff meeting was a success, but he left it feeling unsettled.

His desire to see Harry the next day was even stronger.

==/==/==

Granger and Harry arrived the following morning, looking satisfied with themselves. Harry especially had a large smile on his face. Granger immediately handed over a roll of parchment.

“Hello sir,” she said. “Shall we get right to it?” 

“If you please,” he replied. 

“You gave us a list of 27 names, most Muggleborn but some half-bloods as well. Of those 27, we got 23 to agree to come back,” she said, beaming. 

Snape was impressed. “That was more than I was expecting, especially given the short amount of time you had to work with.” 

“Hermione worked us night and day, sir. You were right to rely on her organizational skills,” Harry said and Granger blushed. 

“Thank you, Harry. But, sir, it was really Harry that did most of the work. He was really good at convincing some of the more reluctant students.” 

“Nah, I think most of them just wanted to be asked to come back in person,” Harry said modestly. “Most of them were really nice about it. Except Justin Finch-Fletchley; he’s still a git.” 

“Did he not agree to come back?” Snape asked, curious about the four that weren’t returning. 

“Oh, no. He’s coming back. But I just wanted to state that he’s a git…for the record,” Harry explained. “Made us treat him like he was the bloody Queen. I wish he _had_ gone to Eton…”

“Harry! Sorry, sir. Harry and Justin have a bit of a history…” Granger began but was cut off by a loud scoff from Harry. “But I will admit that he can be difficult.” 

Snape looked between the two of them, amused by their antics. They had proven to be a good team and Snape wondered if the time alone without Weasley last year had brought them closer. 

“And what of the four that you couldn’t convince?” 

“Well, we couldn’t find two of them. A Hufflepuff third year and a Ravenclaw fifth year. We tracked down everyone who knew them well at Hogwarts and they think that both the families fled the country last year,” Granger said. “I’ve written letters to some of the European schools and Ilvermorny, but we’re still waiting to hear back.” 

Snape nodded. “The other two?” 

“Dean Thomas, from my year, was one of them,” Harry said. “We did find him, but we couldn’t convince him to come back. He was very bitter when we spoke to him and he says that he has no intentions of coming back to the Wizarding World. Him and Seamus Finnigan were best friends at Hogwarts, so I’ve asked him to reach out to Dean, but he doesn’t have much hope for the situation.” 

Snape suspected there was more to the story, seeing how disappointed Harry looked at his inability to convince Thomas. “And the last?” 

Granger and Harry shared a significant look and Granger was the one who spoke up. “The last was a Hufflepuff who would have been a sixth year this year. From what we could gather, when it came time to register for the commission, her mother made a fuss. Her mother was originally from Germany, you understand, and could see the writing on the wall – that the commission would only be the first step. It seems the Ministry did not take kindly to being contacted by a Muggle about this…and released their name and address to the Death Eaters. You can imagine what happened next.” 

Snape knew only too well what had happened, having been a member of similar Death Eater raids in his time. He was glad that he had not been required to participate in any last year, so could not have been a part of the one that Granger described, but the guilt hit him all the same. 

“Yes, Miss Granger, I can well imagine,” Snape replied quietly, looking down at the parchment again, a finger absently tracing the names there, but not really seeing them. 

“Headmaster, are you okay?” Harry asked kindly, concern written all over his face. Harry’s kindness was so like his mother’s and he felt deeply how inadequate he was to receive that kindness.

Snape cleared his throat. “Of course. I am sorry to hear about the death of our student and her family. I am surprised that I hadn’t heard of this before now. Was the Ministry aware of this incident?” 

Granger was the one to scoff in anger this time. “No, they had no idea. None of these incidents were investigated at the Ministry last year. It seems almost the entire bureaucracy was happy to turn a blind eye to the Death Eaters, or worse, in this case, actually aiding them in their efforts to kill Muggles. Who knows how many other stories there are like this and like Professor Burbage?” 

They were all silent then, all lost in their own thoughts about the Ministry and the horrors of the last several years. 

“If that was all, Headmaster, I think I’m going to head back to the Burrow now,” Granger said, standing up and gathering her notes. 

“Actually, there is one more thing before you go,” Snape began. Granger and Harry both looked expectantly at him. “You have both done extremely well in this task and I would like for you to continue your work in helping the students. If you agree, I would like for you to be Head Boy and Head Girl.” 

Granger looked ecstatic but he could already see Harry stubbornly shaking his head. 

“Harry! Isn’t this great?” Granger asked excitedly, turning to Harry and seeing his face. “What’s wrong? I thought you would be happy!” 

“Yes, Mr. Potter, I would have thought that this is what you wanted. Your father was Head Boy and your mother Head Girl,” Snape said, annoyed that Harry wasn’t excited. He knew he wasn’t acting out of favoritism, as anyone could see that two heroes of the war were clear choices to lead the students, but he had selfishly hoped that Harry would be grateful to him. 

“I…I wasn’t a prefect! And what about the seventh years who would have been Head Boy and Girl this year? It’s not fair to them!” Harry sputtered, clearly upset about the decision. 

“Being a prefect is not a requirement for being Head Boy and it is the Headmaster that makes this decision so if anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me,” Snape replied, letting his annoyance seep into his voice. 

Harry winced a little at his tone, his shoulders slumping in. This was not the way that Snape had imagined this moment. 

“Harry,” Granger said gently, “what’s really going on? This is _good_ news.” 

Harry took his glasses off and put his head in his hands. “It’s just…everyone is going to think that I’m Head Boy because I’m Harry bloody Potter and I defeated Voldemort…” 

“Potter! When will you get it through your thick skull that you _are_ Harry Potter and that you _did_ defeat the Dark Lord? It is the truth of who you are and people will treat you differently because of it and well they should, if I am to be frank about it. I know that you would like nothing more than to be completely anonymous but you are not. However, saying all of that…do you think that I made this decision for those reasons?” 

Granger was looking back and forth between them so quickly that Snape thought she would surely sprain her neck. Harry shook his head and Granger visibly relaxed. 

“And, do you honestly think that I would give someone a job if I was not completely confident that they could do it?” 

Again, Harry shook his head, still looking sullen. 

“So, other than fear of what others _might_ think about the reasons you were appointed, do you have any objections to the job?” 

At Harry’s last head shake, Snape opened his drawer, took out both badges and handed them both to Granger. 

“Thank you, sir,” Granger said politely, poking Harry with his badge until he took it. 

“Yes, thank you. I’m sor…” Harry began. 

“Do not be sorry, Potter. Just do a good job,” Snape said, cutting him off. 

“Yes, sir, I can do that,” Harry said, squaring his shoulders. 

“Now, we will go over your duties more fully at our first meeting of the year, but, for now, your first duty will be to ensure everyone gets on board the Hogwarts Express and to set prefect patrols for the train ride. We will be having meetings twice a month while school is in session, with one of those being with the Heads of each house.” 

“Bi-monthly meetings, sir?” Granger asked. “Isn’t that more often than Professor Dumbledore did?” 

“Yes, it is. The former Headmaster had a much more ‘live and let live’ approach to running the school. I will be taking a different approach…”

Granger only nodded, but Snape suspected that she approved of his course of action. “Was there anything else, sir?” she asked. 

“No, that was all. Thank you for your help and for agreeing to be Head Girl and Boy.” 

Harry remained seated as Granger left, giving her a small wave, which she returned with a knowing look. As the door closed, Snape turned to Harry, who gave him a tremulous smile. 

“Sorry I wasn’t more grateful about the Head Boy thing.”

“I already told you not to apologize, Potter,” Snape said tiredly, leaning his head back on his chair and closing his eyes. It had been a long couple of days. 

“Is everything okay?” Harry asked. Snape made a flippant gesture with his hand but did not respond. “Did any of the staff give you trouble at your meeting?” 

Snape wondered how Harry had even known about the staff meeting the previous day, but, then again, Harry always seemed to have his nose in everything. Another reason he would make an excellent Head Boy. 

“No, quite the opposite. Everyone was very excited to tell me how right Dumbledore turned out to be for believing in me. I am a living testament to Dumbledore’s infallibility. Aren’t I lucky?” Snape said, knowing that Harry would be able to hear all the bitterness in his voice. 

Harry stood and walked over to him, putting a tentative hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Severus. You don’t deserve that.” Snape’s shrug dislodged Harry’s hand and it fell limply at his side. “How can I help you?” 

Snape looked up at Harry then, standing very close to him and looking so concerned for him. He reached for Harry’s hand and placed it back on his shoulder. Harry instantly smiled and squeezed his shoulder. Snape closed his eyes again, reveling in Harry’s closeness. 

After a few moments, Snape could feel Harry’s hand slide further up his shoulder, fingertips gently touching his neck and he turned his head, giving Harry more room to touch him. Almost forty years old and this small touch was exciting him more than anything had in years. His lips parted and Harry’s hand tightened momentarily before completely letting go. By the time he opened his eyes, Harry was walking back to his chair. He kept his back to Snape, taking longer than Snape thought necessary to gather up his parchment and Head Boy badge, and when he turned around, Snape could see that his face was flushed red. 

“It’s probably a good thing that summer is almost over,” Harry said, his voice sounding rough. 

“And why would that be, Potter?” Snape asked, leaning forward slightly, hoping Harry hadn’t noticed exactly how excited he had been by his touch. 

“Well, if we’re not going to do anything about… _this_ ,” Harry said, gesturing back and forth between himself and Snape, “until next summer, then the less time alone together the better.” It was gratifying to know that Harry seemed to feel the same way about him as Snape did about Harry, though it made the wait seem even more interminable. “Alright…I’m off to Andromeda’s for the next two weeks to spend time with Teddy, then I’ll see you at the Welcome Feast.” 

Snape spent a delightful half hour imagining all the things he would do to Harry next June, if he was still given the chance and then he forced his mind back to his work. School started in two weeks and there was a mountain of work still left to do.

==/==/==

Harry’s words proved accurate. The next time they saw each other was across the Great Hall at the Welcome Feast, Snape in his most impressive Headmaster robes and Harry in his brand-new school robes, Head Boy badge pinned proudly to his chest.

The Sorting went smoothly, with an about even number of students assigned to each house. Snape had worried that the Hat would put less students than normal in Slytherin. He had tried, on several occasions, to ask the Hat his plans for the next Sorting, but the blasted thing only spoke in riddles, so he gave it up as a bad job. He had had better things to do than argue with a sentient piece of outerwear. 

Snape spent his time during the meal scanning the room, trying to ascertain the mood of the students. Harry seemed to be having a good time, talking and laughing with his classmates, Granger, to no one’s surprise, to his right-hand side. The Slytherins, although never a noisy bunch, seemed more subdued than normal and he could see some of the newly Sorted first years looking downright miserable. 

He could see that Harry would look up at the staff table periodically, but Snape did not make eye contact with him, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. He wasn’t sure it was to either of their advantages to be seen as too friendly this early in the year. 

When the food was cleared away, Snape stood, ready to make his Welcome speech. He had spent weeks working on it and while he would never be as whimsical or good-natured as Dumbledore, he hoped the students would appreciate the effort he was putting into this year for their benefit. 

An expectant hush fell over the Great Hall and he could sense every eye on him. He carefully opened his notes and looked at each table in turn. He could see Harry’s encouraging grin from the corner of his eye and he found it did give him a small bit of courage. 

“I would like to take a moment before you head to bed, to welcome you to the new school year at Hogwarts. As many of you know, our last year here was marred by the Wizarding War that culminated at the Battle of Hogwarts. Other than our newest students, the last most of you saw of this great institution was it being burnt to the ground by invaders. As you see today and will see more of as term begins, the castle has been repaired, but my primary concern for this coming school year is that the divisions that caused the Wizarding War are repaired as well. Too long has Hogwarts been divided so sharply among its Houses, students disliking each other on sight by the color of their tie.” 

Snape could hear the concerned rumbling beginning at the conclusions that the students were drawing. He held up his hand for silence and continued. 

“I am not planning on abolishing the Houses,” he said, and could feel the students relax a little. 

“But there _will_ be more inter-House cooperation. As such, there will be no House cup awarded this year and there will be no competitive Quidditch played.” He could hear the start of the open rebellion from the students. “However,” he began again loudly, glaring at the loudest offenders, “there will be Quidditch played at Hogwarts this year. Everyone who wants to will try out and team captains will pick from whatever house they would like to fill their teams. 

“The captains will be as follows: Ginny Weasley from Gryffindor, Blaise Zabini from Slytherin, Ernie MacMillan from Hufflepuff and Jeremy Stretton from Ravenclaw. Tryouts will be on the third Saturday of the term and captains should pick their teams by the following Saturday. Cooperation will be required or I will cancel Quidditch altogether for this year.” 

Snape let the students have a moment to digest this information and he glanced over to see Ginny Weasley speaking eagerly to Harry and he was relieved to see that no one looked especially angry. 

When he continued, the room seemed calmer. “In addition, you may bring any concern that you have to your Heads of House, a prefect of any House, the Head Boy and Girl, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, or to myself. To that end, every Friday, I will be holding open office hours from 7 in the evening until curfew. Any who wish to speak to me on any subject may come to my office at that time and I will do my best to address any concerns that you may have.

“Lastly, I want to say just a few words to our newest students. You have entered Hogwarts at a precarious time. The success or failure of this school depends on a robust student body and, as first years, you have the greatest chance to show the world that Hogwarts is as strong and healthy as ever. I know that some of you may object to the House that you were sorted into tonight. You may have heard rumors and stories about what your new House represents, both to this school and the greater Wizarding World. 

“In the spirit of new beginnings, for the first time, Hogwarts will be allowing students to transfer houses. If you feel that you cannot be happy in the House that was selected for you, you can put in for a transfer and your case will be judged by myself and the Heads of Houses.” 

A murmur went through the crowd at this news, as Snape knew would happen. Again, he held up a hand. “However, my only request of those who wish to transfer is simple: live with your Housemates for one month. If, after that month, you are determined to transfer, we will allow you to do so.

“I will remind you that the Houses are not the be-all, end-all of your life at Hogwarts. Families, friendships and relationships all cross House boundaries every year and this year shall be no different. Every House here has its own reputation, but I caution you to keep an open mind. 

“For everyone who wants to say that Hufflepuffs are meek and mild, I implore you to ask the older students about Cedric Diggory. 

“For everyone who thinks that Ravenclaws are bookish and boring, please, spend an afternoon with Luna Lovegood. 

“For everyone who whispers that Gryffindors are all brawn and bravado and no brains, please look up how many O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s Percy Weasley and Hermione Granger have between them.

“And for all who dare say that Slytherins are cold-blooded snakes who were on the wrong side of the war, I invite you to my office hours, where you can say that to my face.

Good night.”

With that, he closed his notebook and waited for the students to begin filing out. The Great Hall was silent for a long moment, until Harry stood, clapping enthusiastically, grinning like a loon. He was quickly joined by the Gryffindors around him and then by almost the entirety of the rest of the Hall. Snape breathed a sigh of relief; he had made it over the first hurdle of the year.

==/==/==

The first two weeks of term flew by and Snape was busier than he had imagined. There had been two Fridays worth of open office hours and, both times, students lined up for the chance to speak to him. At times, such as when he was adjudicating between two tearful second years who could not agree on who had won at Gobstones, he thought this new initiative was the worst idea he had ever had. However, when he could take the time to help an intrepid Ravenclaw who had come to him for advice on his Potions homework by pointing him in the right direction to start his research or when he had the opportunity to head off a bad case of bullying in Slytherin, he thought it might just be the most rewarding thing he had done in his career.

He had scheduled his first meeting with Harry and Granger for the second Saturday of term and he was not surprised when Granger showed up with three rolls of parchment, one to let him know how many points they had deducted and from who, one to show how many detentions they had given and to who, and the last for suggestions for improvements that could be made. 

He quickly perused the parchments, not particularly surprised to see that Granger had done the bulk of point taking and detention giving but gratified to see that Harry had added a few bullet points to the list of improvements. 

“Thank you, Granger,” he said. “This is very thorough.” 

“No problem, sir.”

“In addition to this, I would like to ask what you think of the general mood of the student body, especially in regard to my announcement about Quidditch,” he said, directing his inquiry to Harry. He was sure that Harry had heard much of the chatter about his decision, seeing as how he was a Quidditch star and former Quidditch captain. 

Harry grinned. “I haven’t heard many complaints, to be honest. I thought there would be more, but everyone I’ve talked to is excited about the possibilities.” 

“The possibilities?” Snape asked, not understanding what Harry meant. 

“Sure! Half the conversations about Quidditch in the dorms are discussions of what our ‘dream team’ would look like. We pretend that the other teams are rubbish, but we’ve all thought about how much we’d like this team’s Chaser or another team’s Keeper. I think the captains are all excited to be able to put together a team from any House, even if they might have grumbled a bit at first,” Harry explained. 

“So you think this idea will be a success?” Snape inquired, still nervous that his Quidditch decision was the right one. 

“Yes,” Harry stated firmly. “If you wanted to drum up inter-House cooperation, having captains trying to butter up players from other Houses is a good way to do it. Ginny desperately wants the Hufflepuff Keeper. Surely you’ve seen her stopping by the Hufflepuff table to chat them up?” 

Snape had witnessed Ginny Weasley’s interaction with the Hufflepuffs, among other encouraging signs that his Quidditch idea was a good one, but it was nice to hear that Harry agreed with him. 

Harry continued, “I swear, the only reason anyone has talked to me the last two weeks is to make sure that I’m trying out for Seeker.” He shook his head, like this was a silly notion. 

Snape leaned back in his chair and exchanged an amused glance with Granger. “And are you going to go out for a team, Potter?” 

“Well, yeah, of course! My last chance to play Quidditch at Hogwarts…I wouldn’t give that up for anything,” Harry said enthusiastically. 

Granger smiled indulgently at Harry, before turning to Snape. “Sir, I hate to play too much to type, but I was thinking that in addition to the Quidditch effort, we might think of organizing inter-House study groups. Perhaps each year can form study groups for each subject and people can get help with the subjects they’re struggling with.” 

“I think that sounds reasonable, Miss Granger. Shall I put you in charge of organizing it?” 

Granger nodded eagerly, clearly having wanted to be asked this very question. After discussing a few more items, Snape let them go, satisfied that he was on the right track with the changes that he had made.

==/==/==

The first term progressed quickly. Snape kept close tabs on all the various happenings of the student body through his regular meetings with his Heads of House and the Head Boy and Girl, but his favorite thing to do was to observe the students in the Great Hall. The Headmaster’s chair was an excellent spot for people watching and he was gratified to see that members of different Houses freely interacted with each other. He had quickly formed the rule that students could eat breakfast and lunch at whichever table they wanted, but that dinner had to be eaten with their own House. Not a single person had come to him to request a transfer to a different House and he considered this a great success. He had hoped that it would be the case, though he had been prepared to openly and fairly consider any transfer request.

After the Quidditch teams had been formed, things very quickly fell into place. The captains had met civilly with each other to pick their teams and each team was incredibly strong. He could only assume that Blaise Zabini had used every ounce of Slytherin cunning he possessed in order to snag Harry as Seeker and he thought, in a completely unbiased way, that Zabini’s team was now a shoo-in to win the whole competition. Regardless, Snape was looking forward to watching the competition between each of the well-matched teams. He had been to at least one of each of the teams’ practices and was frankly amazed to see how well everyone was getting along. He especially loved to see Harry up in the air again; the look of pure joy that came over him often left Snape awestruck…and desperately wanting to kiss him. He limited himself to only watching one practice of Zabini’s team after he caught himself with his eyes glued to Harry the entire time. It was not exactly subtle, especially not when Harry looked to Snape every time he pulled off a particular impressive move. 

Everything was going better than Snape had hoped. 

And yet, Snape hated almost every moment of having to observe Harry from afar. Other than the brief meetings with him and Granger, seeing him at meal times and the one Quidditch practice, they rarely saw each other. Harry never sought him out in private and the most interaction they had between just the two of them was the brief moments when Harry would try to catch his eye, such as at the Quidditch practice. 

From Snape’s observations of him, Harry seemed to be taking both his role as Head Boy and his studies very seriously. At almost every meal, Harry could be seen flitting between the tables, seeming to be on speaking terms with nearly everyone in the school. The first years especially loved him, always clamoring around him, asking questions and, to Snape’s eyes, generally being nuisances, but Harry never seemed to mind. He would speak to everyone with a smile on his face. 

Halloween came and went and Snape began to notice that Harry was spending more and more time at the Slytherin table and Zabini always seemed to be hovering around, pulling Harry into serious conversations about who knew what. At times, it was clear that they were discussing Quidditch, mostly from Harry’s demonstrative arm movements, but there were other times that they would be conversing much more quietly, their heads bent closely together. 

The jealousy burned hotly in Snape’s chest. Zabini was exactly the kind of handsome, charming young man that he would expect Harry to be with. He found a part of him could not begrudge Harry for moving on and finding someone more suitable for him, but he hated it all the same. He began to wish fervently for the end of the year, when Harry would leave him for good. He knew that this was most likely the last opportunity for him to see and interact with Harry on a regular basis, but it hurt too badly seeing him happy in the company of another. It would be better next year, and in the years to come, when the distance would take some of the sting away.


	5. Chapter 5

Snape was relieved when the Christmas Holidays were finally only a few weeks away. He had only a few more Fridays of open office hours for the year, one last Quidditch game to attend and end of term grades to accept from the professors before he could officially begin his much-needed down time. He had grand plans to get smashing drunk and not think about Harry. It was sure to be a success. 

Unfortunately, the last Quidditch match involved Zabini’s team and he was forced to watch as Zabini tackled Harry to the ground after he had caught the Snitch. Watching them hug and carry on in the middle of the pitch was too much and Snape beat a hasty exit from the staff box. 

He was never happier when the last day of term finally came. Only one more breakfast to deal with and then the students would be off to their homes for the break. A handful of students had elected to remain and Snape noticed, with mixed feelings, that Harry had not been included on that list. His suspicion that Harry would be spending his break with the Weasleys was confirmed during the last breakfast of the term. 

Harry had once again finished his breakfast quickly and gone directly to the Slytherin table, where he immediately seemed to gravitate toward Zabini. For once, Zabini was sitting at the end closest to the staff table and Snape was not above eavesdropping on their conversation. 

“Are we still on for New Year’s Eve, Potter?” Zabini asked, in a bored voice that seemed to indicate that he did not actually care what the answer to the question was. Snape wondered how Harry could stand him. 

Harry snagged a piece of toast from the middle of the table. “Definitely! I cleared it with Mrs. Weasley and you’re more than welcome at the party. Be there early, yeah?” he asked, stuffing his mouth with toast, clearly completely comfortable in Zabini’s presence. 

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it,” Zabini replied in his usual cool drawl. Snape could never tell when Zabini was actually enthusiastic about something or if he was being sarcastic, but it did not seem to bother Harry. 

“Come on. We better get our trunks and get to the train. Wouldn’t want it to leave without us, would we?” Harry asked, throwing a cheeky grin to Zabini. 

Harry seemed to notice Snape looking at them just then and he turned his head toward him, giving him a soft smile and the slightest of head nods before walking away with Zabini. Snape left the Great Hall immediately after, going directly to his private rooms off his office. He had wanted to see the students off but he didn’t think the hateful sneer on his face would be the best thing for students to see as they left Hogwarts for break. 

Harry asking Zabini to the Weasley New Year’s party was the final straw. He would have the next two weeks to let himself fully feel the loss of Harry and then he was resolved to never think of it again. The bottle of brandy that Minerva had given him for Christmas would be integral in this plan.

==/==/==

Snape woke the next morning to a persistent pounding in his head and as he opened his eyes, he quickly realized that the pounding was actually coming from his window. Harry’s blasted owl was insisting on being allowed in and he knew the thing wouldn’t leave him alone until he did. He stumbled over to the window and let the bird in. He took the letter from the owl and was not surprised at all that Harry had apparently instructed him to stay for a reply.

_SS,_

_Is there a time before New Year’s Eve that I can come through your Floo to speak with you about something? Please reply back with a day and time that works for you. David will wait for a reply._

_HP_

Snape crumpled the note in his hand. Of all the arrogant things that Harry had subjected him to, this was the most galling. Harry had four bloody months to talk to him at any time, but just when Snape thought he was rid of him for a while, he comes back with a letter like that. Assuming that Snape would open his Floo for him. Demanding to talk. Snape would not be treated this way. 

“I won’t be responding,” Snape told the bird, throwing the letter in the trash. 

The owl hopped slightly in place, bobbing his head a little but did not fly away. Snape made a shoo-ing motion with his hands and the owl snapped his beak threateningly close to his hand. Remembering the owl’s persistence from the summer, he reluctantly admitted defeat. He would write a note and send it back – the owl did not need to know that it was not the answer that Harry anticipated. 

He moved to take a new piece of parchment from his drawer but thought of a better idea at the last moment and took Harry’s letter out of the trash. He smoothed it out enough to write the word NO on the bottom. He rolled it up and gave it back to bird, smiling a little to himself at his admittedly petty gesture. 

He thought momentarily about going back to bed but decided, since he was up anyway, that he should take a walk. The weather was relatively mild for December and it would give the Hangover Potion he greedily drank down time to kick in. He dressed quickly and headed out, purposefully not heading toward the lake, knowing it would only remind him of his walk with Harry over the summer. 

Unfortunately, almost everything reminded him of Harry at this point, but the walk and the potion did clear his head and he was feeling slightly better by the time he made it back to his office. He walked through, pausing to grab some paperwork from his desk and headed into his private rooms. 

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Harry standing next to his fireplace, crumpled note in his hand and a thunderous expression on his face. 

Harry spoke before Snape’s brain could catch up to the situation he found himself in. “What _exactly_ is this?” he demanded, waving the note in his hand around. Snape could see the large NO written at the bottom and he internally cringed at his moment of pettiness. He had not expected it to blow up in his face like this, especially not this quickly. 

“It would appear that it is the letter that you wrote to me and my reply. I think the real question is how you were able to enter my private rooms. I suggest you get out,” he said coldly. 

“You gave me the password ages ago! It’s not my fault you never changed it, so no, I won’t leave! Not until you tell me what I’m supposed to make of this reply? I wanted to talk to you. Why would you tell me no?” Harry asked angrily, his voice laced with frustration and disappointment. 

“I have every right to tell you no! Demanding that I speak with you; that I open my Floo whenever you feel like it! Don’t you think I have better things to do with my time than listen to your every whining thought that you want to unload on me whenever _you_ might want to?” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about! I wanted to see you. I was going to invite you to the Weasley’s party. I thought we were…friends or something. What happened to us?” Harry’s voice broke. “I don’t understand…” 

“Leave, Potter. I do not want you here,” Snape said, pointing to the door, having reached the end of his ability to converse with Harry without making a complete idiot of himself. 

“No! I won’t leave,” Harry repeated. “You can’t just do this. One minute we were fine and now this.” Harry waved the letter around more and took a step toward Snape. “I just don’t understand…”

Snape moved away from Harry, turning his back to him. “There is nothing to understand. You have moved on and so shall I,” he said tiredly. 

Harry moved around him, stepping even closer and looking up into his face. Snape tried to turn his head away but Harry caught his eye and he could not look away. “What do you mean? I’ve moved on?” he asked, his voice slightly calmer than it had been previously. 

“Yes, Potter, moved on. I’ve seen you with Zabini. You said that you would wait and be back after you completed school. I am not surprised that you broke your promise but I am the one who does not understand why you would dare to make demands on me and show up here uninvited,” Snape said, letting his anger take a hold of him. 

“Zabini? _Blaise_ Zabini?” Harry asked, playing the innocent fool with an almost obscene degree of perfection. 

“Yes, you idiot. How many other people named Zabini do you know?” Snape snapped. 

“Don’t call me that! I just can’t believe that you think…I mean, do you think that I’m dating Blaise?” Harry asked incredulously. “Because I’m not!” 

“I have seen it with my own eyes! How close the two of you have gotten – I even overheard you inviting him to the Weasley’s party,” Snape replied. 

Harry laughed a little, shaking his head. “I’m not dating him, I don’t like him and I invited him to the party because he’s desperate for a shot at Ginny. Can you not imagine any reason why I might choose to spend time with Blaise? Perhaps something to do with your desire to promote inter-House cooperation?” 

Harry raised his eyebrows, clearly expecting an answer, but Snape decided that he had nothing to say. “Did you ever consider how hard it is for an eighteen-year-old to want _desperately_ to be with someone but isn’t able to? How hard it must be that I can see you every day but I can’t touch you or hug you or kiss you or – hell – even talk to you alone for fear of someone catching on! So, what do I do?” 

“I assume that’s a rhetorical question,” Snape replied, feeling uncomfortably like the floor was caving in around him. 

Harry scoffed and threw him an ugly look. “What I _do_ is pour myself into making your time as Headmaster successful. I am all in on being Head Boy…and playing Quidditch on a mixed team…and befriending the whole damn school to make sure everyone gets along and that there are no problems. And yes! I’ve even gone so far as to spend time with one of the only returning Slytherins from my year, because if I can be friends with Blaise Zabini than anyone should be able to be friends with anybody else and everyone will end up thinking that you’re a successful fucking Headmaster, you selfish jerk!” 

Harry stomped to the door, shaking his head. Snape was speechless; he had been completely wrong about pretty much everything and now Harry was very angry. 

“Wait! Harry…,” Snape called out as Harry opened the door. 

“No, you’ve asked me repeatedly to leave and now I am. I _was_ going to ask you to be our First-Footer this year and come celebrate the New Year with me, but I don’t think I want to celebrate with someone who thinks so little of me,” Harry said, slamming the door behind him. 

Snape sank down onto the couch and put his head in his hands. He had really done it now. He had let his jealousy, his pettiness and his eternal pessimism about the people around him ruin one of the most potentially important relationships of his life. He had only himself to blame for it; he could see that now. Harry’s explanation made complete sense and it fit perfectly with what he knew of Harry’s character. Harry, who had always been trying to help him, always asking what he could do for Snape, had spent the last four months running himself ragged to help Snape and he could not see what was right in front of his face. 

Yes, he was the only one to blame for this mess and he was the only one who would be able to fix it. He had made Harry a promise over the summer – that he would most likely make many mistakes but that he would always admit when he was wrong and he would always apologize. Now he had to rely on Harry’s innate goodness and his ability to forgive.

==/==/==

On the night of New Year’s Eve, Snape took especial care to make sure he looked as nice as possible. After almost forty years, he knew there was nothing to be done about his face, but he carefully washed his hair and ensured that his robes were as neat and well-pressed as he could make them. One last look in the mirror only left him feeling anxious and he walked to the Hogwarts gate rehearsing what he would say to Harry.

He took one last deep breath and disapparated directly outside of the Burrow and he could immediately hear the sound of a large party in full swing. He cringed at the thought of having to knock on the door and ask if he could speak to Harry, imagining how everyone would gape at him and feign politeness, but he really had no choice in the matter. Harry was in the house in front of him and so he would do what he had to do to get to him. 

As he approached the gate, he heard the distinctive sound of a cloak being removed and there was Harry, sitting on the rock wall, now holding his Invisibility Cloak in his hands. 

“Snape! What are you doing here?” Harry asked, his voice not giving away how he felt about Snape’s sudden appearance in the Weasley’s front yard. He could not help but be hurt by Harry’s use of his last name though he knew he deserved it. 

“I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing sitting out here underneath your Cloak instead of inside at the party?” 

“Uh-uh, no, I don’t think so,” Harry said, shaking his head and looking determined. “You don’t get to come here and ask me snide little questions to try to make me feel stupid. Not after that scene in your sitting room. What do you want?”

Snape gave Harry a long look and even in the dim light he could tell that Harry looked tired and sad. “It was not my intention to make you feel stupid, I assure you. I am here to apologize to you.” 

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and raised his chin a little higher, stubbornness written all over his face. “I need more than that. More words, not less.” 

Snape took a moment to gather his thoughts. “You told me that it has been difficult for you to be around me this year but not be with me the way that you say that you want. I can tell you that it has been much the same for me. You are a far better person than I am so when you faced this challenge, you worked harder and attempted to make the situation better. I am not like you. I saw the challenge and shrank from it, somehow convincing myself that not only had you moved on but that you had never truly felt anything for me in the first place. It hurt, so I lashed out at you. I cannot excuse my behavior. I can only ask for your forgiveness.” 

Harry made a disbelieving noise and shook his head. “I’m not sure I will ever be able to understand how your brain works, Severus. Everything you just said is _completely_ mystifying to me. I would ask why you chose to think the worst of me…to think that I was unfaithful when I made you a promise, but I’m not sure it has anything to do with me at all,” Harry said, trailing off, looking at Snape as if he was the most confusing thing he had ever encountered. 

Snape felt as though his chest was being crushed, like a large weight had settled over his heart. He had brought this on himself and it was a more painful feeling than any torture that the Dark Lord could think up. He had let the worst of himself be revealed and Harry saw right through him. He heard Harry sigh and unfold his arms from across his chest. 

“And yet, I still find myself _wanting_ to understand you…to spend as long as you let me to work on understanding that brilliant mind of yours,” he said and the weight on Snape’s chest shifted, just a little. “The last time that we had a fight, I asked you never to say things that you don’t mean out of anger again and you said that you could only promise to try and to apologize if you’re wrong. I accepted that then, and I accept that now, but this time, I will need a promise from you.” 

Snape nodded eagerly. “Name it, Harry, and if I can promise it to you, I will.” 

“You have to promise to trust me. You have to promise that when I tell you something that you will believe it. I choose to believe in the best of you, even when others tell me I’m wrong,” Harry said, waving his hand in the vague direction of the home behind him and Snape wondered at the story behind those words. “You _have_ to do the same for me. Do you promise?” 

“Yes, I do promise,” Snape said, putting every ounce of sincerity that he could into his voice and he was rewarded with a blinding smile from Harry and the weight on his chest was gone, hopefully for good. 

“Good, Severus,” Harry said, breathing a sigh of relief and stepping closer to Snape. “I’m so glad that you came tonight. You asked why I was sitting out here alone and it was because I couldn’t stand being around so many happy people when I was so heartbroken. I had really thought I had lost my chance with you. Not even Teddy could cheer me up…” 

“I’m glad I came too,” Snape said, wanting to initiate physical contact between them, but not knowing if it would be welcome. “You said, the other day, that you wanted to hug me. Is that one of the things I should believe when you say it?” 

“Yes, definitely,” Harry said, stepping into Snape completely and wrapping his arms around Snape’s waist. Snape’s arms immediately came up to return the hug and he felt as if he could cry at how right Harry felt in his arms. He felt more than heard the hum of contentment that Harry made against his chest as he snuggled even closer in. Snape rested his cheek on the top of Harry’s head and they swayed a little together and Snape knew that he would do everything in his power to make sure that there was more of just this in his future. 

When Harry spoke next, it was so quietly that he almost missed it. “I think I had also mentioned kissing in that conversation.” 

Snape could feel Harry shift underneath his cheek and raised his head so that Harry could look up at him. Harry’s beautiful face was so close that it would take nothing for Snape to lean down to kiss him. “Are you sure that is wise?” he asked instead and regretted it almost immediately. 

Harry laughed, the movement vibrating against Snape. “Of course, it’s not wise! It’s a completely stupid idea!” Harry exclaimed, letting go of Snape’s waist and entwining his arms around his neck. Harry stood on his tiptoes and pulled Snape’s head down until there was barely any space at all between their lips. “But, God, I want to,” he said, as he closed the gap between them. 

At first, the kiss was a chaste one, just two sets of lips pressed softly against each other and it was simultaneously everything Snape would ever need from Harry and not nearly enough of Harry to satisfy him. He wasn’t sure who deepened the kiss but he was soon pushing Harry back against the stone wall and pushing his tongue into Harry’s mouth, not able to get enough of the taste of him. 

Harry moaned deeply into his mouth and broke away, panting into Snape’s neck. He could feel how excited Harry was against his leg and he moved his thigh to press up against him as he placed open-mouthed kisses to Harry’s neck, letting him catch his breath but wanting to give him as much pleasure as possible. 

Harry tipped his head to the side, allowing Snape more access and groaned, tightening his arms around his neck and pulling himself farther into Snape’s embrace. He ground his hips forward, pushing his erection into Snape’s hip again and again. Snape’s hands ran down the length of Harry’s body and took a tight hold of the most perfect arse in the world and began to guide Harry’s movements against him. 

“I could come like this,” Harry gasped. It was such an erotically uttered sentence that Snape had to kiss Harry immediately, pushing his tongue again inside his mouth and moaning at how good Harry felt against him, before kissing his way across his jawline and up his neck. 

“Could you really?” Snape asked against Harry’s ear, who nodded his head vigorously, still moving his hips. “What do you need, Harry? I want to feel you come against me. I _need_ it.” 

Harry gripped Snape’s shoulders tightly, using them to gain even more leverage. “Just keep talking to me,” he said on a desperate-sounding moan. 

“You like when I talk?” he asked and Harry nodded again. “Do you want to hear what I think about when I think of you? Do you want to hear how I imagine all the ways that I could make you come? With my fingers or my mouth or my cock?” 

Harry whimpered. “Yes, all of that…please.” 

“How I want to taste all of you, put my hands all over your perfect body, and then bend you over my bed and fuck you mercilessly from behind until you come for me,” Snape whispered, punctuating his words by trailing his fingers along the seam of Harry’s trousers and pushing his middle finger against exactly where he wanted to fuck Harry. 

“Oh god…oh god…I’m coming. Ah…ah…Sev,” Harry moaned as he shuddered against Snape. It was the most erotic thing Snape had ever been a part of and he held Harry tightly as he came down from it. 

Snape was almost painfully hard at this point and he gave a brief thought of how he could take care of himself without making Harry feel pressured into something he wasn’t ready for. Those thoughts quickly fled as Harry drew back and began to undo his robes to get to his trousers beneath. Hardly before Snape could think, Harry had undone his trousers and had his cock in his hand. 

“Oh god…you’re perfect,” Harry moaned, wrapping his hand around Snape’s hard cock and beginning to stroke him. “God, yes, I want all of what you said…and so much more.” 

Harry stood on his tiptoes again and kissed him deeply, one arm thrown possessively around his neck as Harry jerked him off and it was too much for Snape. He grabbed hold of Harry’s waist tightly as he began to come and their kiss devolved into open-mouthed panting as he came all over Harry’s hand and shirt. Harry’s hand kept moving over him and Snape eventually had to put his hand over Harry’s to still his movements. Snape had a brief, dizzying thought that he could die happy now, seeing his come all over Harry and their hands entwined and holding his half-hard cock. 

“That was hot,” Harry said, sounding as if he was pleasantly surprised. 

“Yes, Potter, you have quite the knack for stating the obvious,” Snape said, flicking his wand out of his sleeve and beginning the process of cleaning them both up. 

Harry laughed. “I’m being serious! I think I’d be completely hard again if it wasn’t for the mess in my pants.” 

“Charming,” Snape muttered as he watched Harry attempt to clean himself up. Harry apparently gave it up for a bad job and rolled his eyes at Snape. “The joys of being eighteen.” 

“Well, yes,” Harry said, unexpectedly reaching up to steal a quick kiss from Snape, “especially since you’re the one to reap the benefits of it.” 

“I suppose that’s true,” Snape said, pulling Harry into a longer kiss that was eagerly returned. 

Harry broke away, shaking his head. “You really will get me going again if you kiss me like that.” 

“Perhaps that was my intention? Perhaps I have a nefarious plan to keep you constantly hard and thinking about me?” Snape said, enjoying the way Harry squirmed in front of him. 

“You’re doing that on purpose. I never should have told you that thing about the talking. Besides, you do already keep me hard all the time, so mission accomplished,” Harry said, moving even farther away and pulling a beat up watch out of his pocket. “It’s just before midnight. Did you want to be our First-Footer?” 

“Will I be forced to socialize with Weasleys if I say yes?” Snape asked as Harry carefully folded his Invisibility Cloak and put it in his pocket. 

“Oh yes! The Weasleys, their spouses and significant others, various members of the Order…I think the Minister of Magic might even be wandering around somewhere and want to talk to you,” Harry said sarcastically. “How will you ever survive?”

Snape pondered whether he should extract a promise from Harry to not leave him alone for the duration of the party but decided that would sound more than a little pathetic, so he only made a mild grumbling noise as Harry grabbed his hand and marched him through the gate and up the front path. He dropped Snape’s hand as they came to the door and Harry knocked loudly on it. 

Mrs. Weasley opened if after a few moments. “Harry! You know that you don’t have to knock. Come in, come in!” she exclaimed, trying to wave Harry inside. 

“Mrs. Weasley, wait. Headmaster Snape decided that he could join us after all and he agreed to be the First Footer, so we can’t come in yet,” Harry explained. 

“Oh, hello, Headmaster. Tall _and_ dark, you’ll do just fine,” Mrs. Weasley said, looking him up and down in an approving manner. He was suddenly glad his cleaning charms were always very thorough. She pulled her own watch from her pocket and examined it. “You only have about five minutes left to go. Shall I get you both some mulled wine while you wait?” 

“Yes please,” Harry said politely and Mrs. Weasley returned shortly with two glasses and handed them over the threshold. 

The pair of them sipped their wine, staring at each other over their glasses. It reminded Snape of the time they had held hands in the Hospital Wing, with Harry wearing that same look of complete satisfaction. That had been the first time that Snape had felt the hope blooming in him; the hope that _something_ , as Harry would call it, was happening between them and the hope was even stronger now. He had kissed Harry, made him come and been kissed and been made to come in return. It was a heady feeling; nothing at all like the quick interludes with whatever willing men he could find over the years. It was the feeling that this was just the beginning…only the start of what was to come. 

The party-goers cheered loudly inside, snapping Snape out of his musings. Harry stepped forward quickly, pecking the barest hint of a midnight kiss against Snape’s lips and looking intensely into his eyes. “I’m yours…and you’re mine,” Harry stated unequivocally, echoing Snape’s thoughts almost perfectly. “No more jealousy, okay?” 

Before Snape could even nod his understanding, Harry was already turning at the sound of the door opening and Mrs. Weasley inviting them in. As he walked through the door, he reflected that this was possibly the first time in his life that everyone seemed genuinely happy to see him. He knew that it was a combination of his role as First-Footer and his status as Harry’s guest, but it was still a welcome change to the usual reaction to his presence. 

Harry was immediately engulfed by people at the party, but he seemed to be making a special effort to not let himself be pulled away from Snape. More mulled wine was passed around and Harry gravitated toward Granger and Ron Weasley, so of course Snape found himself in conversation with them as well. Granger was at least polite to him, whereas Weasley seemed to be completely bewildered about how to interact with him. 

After a few awkward moments of small talk, Granger broke in, clearly having just thought of something. “Oh, Harry! We couldn’t find you earlier, but I’m supposed tell you that…Andromeda and Teddy left, but that they will both be back tomorrow morning to make breakfast for whoever is still around and then, after breakfast, you can leave with them to stay at Andromeda’s for the rest of the break,” Granger recited, looking satisfied with herself for getting it all out. Snape realized that Granger was more than a little tipsy, a thought that he found extremely amusing. 

“Thanks Hermione,” Harry said, looking a little amused with his friend as well. 

“Come on, Harry,” Weasley said, struggling with the Rs in Harry’s name. Weasley was clearly more than a little drunk. “Why can’t you stay another day or two? We were going to play Quidditch tomorrow…You and Ginny still haven’t had your Seeker’s duel.” 

Harry was shaking his head the entire time that Weasley spoke and Snape wondered how many times they had had this same conversation. “No, Ron, I have to go spend time with Teddy. I’ve barely seen him the last couple of months. He didn’t even change his eyes to green when I first saw him over break…”

Granger looked concerned and rushed to try to comfort Harry. “Andromeda said that he’s just getting to that age where he’s scared of people he doesn’t recognize,” she explained. 

“Exactly! I’m his godfather; he should be able to recognize me!” Harry said, looking distressed. 

“Potter,” Snape began and felt almost instantly uncomfortable when everyone turned to him expectantly, “why have you not asked for a pass to go visit him on the weekend?” 

“Well…I guess I didn’t know that was an option…,” he said, looking a little puzzled. 

“It is not common, but it has been known to happen in years past, for various reasons, with students that are of age,” Snape explained. 

“So other people could do it? Have done it in the past? It wouldn’t be any sort of special treatment?” Harry asked, clearly wanting to do it, but again getting hung up on his idealistic notions of fairness. 

“No, of course not. I would give a pass to Granger or any student of age that asked and had a good reason to need it. Students have typically tried to go on Hogsmeade weekends so that they are not missed by their classmates.” 

“That’s brilliant! I’ll check with Andi and see if I can visit Teddy next Hogsmeade weekend,” Harry said, looking so excited that Snape knew he would be asking Andromeda the moment he next saw her. Harry looked happily to Granger and she smiled fondly at him. Snape noticed that he didn’t look at Weasley at all, something Weasley seemed to notice as well. 

“Mate, you should ask for the next Hogsmeade weekend after that to come down to London and visit me for a weekend. You and Hermione!” Weasley suggested. 

“Oh…um, maybe. We’ll have to see, okay?” Harry replied and Weasley looked extremely put out and Harry began to backtrack. “It’ll almost be Easter break at that point. We’ll see each other then, right?” 

“Yeah, sure,” Weasley replied, draining his cup quickly. “I need a refill. ‘Mione, you coming?” 

Granger and Weasley wandered away to find more to drink and Harry had a thoughtful look on his face. Before Snape could ask, Harry filled him in. “Ron has been…weird a little this break. I think he was annoyed that I was made Head Boy and that I’ve been trying really hard with my studies this year,” Harry said, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Hermione has been super supportive of the idea of the two of us, but Ron can’t seem to wrap his head around it, so we’ve been pretty much constantly arguing about it.” 

Harry sighed, looking a little sad, and Snape found himself incredibly annoyed at Weasley. It was Snape’s fault that Harry had been sad earlier that night and he had felt so accomplished at getting Harry to smile. And now Weasley was making him sad again! But he also knew how important Harry’s friendships were to him and he remembered only too well how quickly a friendship could fall apart. 

“Have you tried to speak with him about it? Explain how you’re feeling to him?” Snape inquired. 

“Oh yes,” Harry said, rolling his eyes and taking a big gulp of his drink. “About a dozen different times and I know Hermione’s talked to him about it too. Is it bad that…I’m not sure I care?” Harry’s face was filled with guilt and he seemed to be looking at Snape for some sort of approval. 

“I’m not sure what you mean…” 

“It’s just…when Ron left us last year,” Harry began, looking completely miserable at the memory, “I’m not sure I’ve ever felt worse. When I was at the very lowest…when I most needed my friends, he just left. Left Hermione and I to struggle alone and it was horrible. When he came back, I was so desperate for help and for something to hold onto, I welcomed him back with open arms, but I wonder if that was a mistake. I’ve been a little aloof with him since the battle and I can’t seem to help it. Combined with all the things he’s said about you…I just don’t know.” 

Snape was a little stunned, not realizing how quickly things had fallen apart between the group of friends he thought were inseparable. “And you and Granger? What of the two of you?” 

“Oh, we’re better than ever! She’s my best friend. We really seem to get each other lately,” Harry said, smiling warmly at the thought of his friend. “The months alone together in that stupid tent were the best thing to happen to our friendship…well, at least since the time I fought a mountain troll for her in first year.” 

Snape shook his head, glad that Harry was smiling again. “Potter, you are the strangest creature I’ve ever met.” 

“You say the nicest things to me, Headmaster,” Harry said, smiling teasingly up at him. 

Before they could continue their banter or the conversation about his friends, Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt approached them. Shacklebolt drew Harry away into a conversation about the Ministry and Snape became absorbed in a rather interesting discussion of the changes to Hogwarts with Arthur. 

After a few minutes, a lull fell in their conversation and Arthur quickly glanced at Harry, before turning his back on Harry and Shacklebolt. “Severus,” Arthur said quietly, “I noticed that Harry seemed especially glad to see you tonight.” 

Snape stiffened, not knowing where this conversation was going. Arthur was looking expectantly at him. “Was he? I hadn’t noticed,” he said, sounding completely unconvincing to even himself and he was sure Arthur saw right through him.

Although he knew it had been a ridiculous thing to have said, he was still offended when Arthur laughed at him. “Of course, Harry deserves to be happy after the time he’s had. Molly and I consider him to be another son and I think one of the hallmarks of being a good father is caring deeply about your children’s happiness. You seem to have an inordinate amount of control over Harry’s happiness…and his unhappiness.” Arthur looked kindly at him before continuing. “You might want to keep that in mind, as you move forward.”

Snape was saved from coming up with a response to Arthur’s seeming declaration of support for his relationship with Harry by Harry himself.

“I need a refill, Headmaster. Would you like more?” Harry said, looking up at Snape’s face and seeming to see the distress that he was feeling. He peered into Snape’s half full cup for a moment before tilting his head toward the kitchen. “Come on, I’ll top us both up.” 

Snape nodded his good-byes to Arthur and Shacklebolt and let Harry lead him away. 

“Everything alright, Sev?” Harry muttered to him as they passed through the doorway to the kitchen. 

“Yes,” he said simply, but expanded on his answer when Harry did not look satisfied with the answer. “All is well… I will tell you the details later.” 

Harry filled up their cups and whirled them away again to the sitting room, where they struck up another conversation with Harry’s unending supply of friends and family. Although they never touched each other, Snape could see that Harry was not being very subtle and several people gave them knowing looks. He noted with interest that no one seemed to be upset or annoyed with their changed relationship. 

In fact, almost everyone greeted him kindly, with the exception being the two youngest Weasleys. He was determined to speak with Harry more about his friendship with Ronald Weasley, but he was relieved to see that the pair did come together later in the night and seemed to be having a good time with each other. Ginny Weasley, on the other hand, looked to be purposefully avoiding all interactions with both Harry and himself, and Snape knew he would never forget turning the corner into the dark hallway on the way to the bathroom to see the youngest Weasley and Blaise Zabini tangled in an oddly aggressive snogging session. 

But most importantly, Harry was having a good time, smiling and laughing with his friends, but always looking to Snape to make sure he was engaged and happy. Several times, Harry rescued him from awkward or unwanted conversations with an ease and grace that Snape knew he had never possessed himself. 

In the small hours of the night, Harry began to yawn widely, having quickly outpaced Snape in the number of mulled wines he had drank over the course of the night and clearly feeling the effects. As most of the guests left, Snape maneuvered them to sit on one of the couches and Harry almost immediately put his head on Snape’s shoulder and settled into his side. He quickly looked around but no one seemed to be paying them any mind. 

He shifted them a little into a more comfortable position, putting his arm around Harry’s shoulders and Harry snuggled even more deeply into him. He must have dozed off a little because when he opened his eyes, Granger was standing in front of them, looking dead tired herself, but still taking the time to tuck a blanket around the two of them. She carefully removed Harry’s glasses for him and handed them to Snape, who gladly took them, knowing that Harry would immediately look for them upon waking and wanting to keep them safe for him. 

“Take care of him, yeah?” Granger said tiredly, reaching out to brush Harry’s fringe out of his eyes. The care and love that he saw in Granger’s face as she looked at Harry painfully reminded him of the closeness between himself and Lily. 

“Always,” Snape replied simply and Granger met his eye, giving him an approving nod. 

“Yes, I’m starting to see that,” she said, turning away to head toward the stairs. “Good night, Headmaster.”


	6. Chapter 6

Snape woke slowly, the heavy feeling of Harry still pressing down on his side. His back was not going to be happy with him after sleeping on a couch all night, but he figured a few more minutes would not make much a difference at this point. He took Harry’s glasses from his pocket so that he could be ready for him when he awoke, but for now he let him sleep. 

The house was unusually quiet, so Snape could hear the approach of a person as soon as they walked through the creaky garden gate. A quiet knock came on the door and before Snape could even debate whether he wanted to dislodge Harry to answer it, the door slowly opened. 

For a split second, Snape thought that Bellatrix Lestrange was walking through the Weasleys’ door. As he was about to retrieve his wand from the holster, he realized that Bellatrix would not be holding a sleeping baby, nor would she be smiling kindly at the sight of Snape awake and cuddled up to Harry Potter. 

Andromeda Tonks, along with what could only be the sleeping form of Teddy Lupin, approached him. 

“Hello, Severus,” she whispered. “Are you the only one awake?” 

“I believe so, Andromeda. How are you?” Snape asked politely. 

“Frankly, I’m worn out. Teddy’s been a menace all morning and I walked all the way from the village to get him to fall asleep. Would you mind holding him for a bit?” Snape had absolutely no experience with babies and was about to object, but Andromeda cut him off before he got the chance. “He’s no problem once he’s asleep. All you have to do is hold him.” 

He opened his mouth again, but she was already leaning down to give Teddy to him. The baby shifted a little in his wrappings but then settled again quickly. 

“See, not so bad,” she said. “I’m going to get started on breakfast. That should wake everyone up quickly, so it won’t be too long that you’ll have to hold him.” 

With that, she went to the kitchen and Snape could hear her begin preparations for breakfast and Snape was left to contemplate the events in his life that had resulted in him sitting in the Weasley’s sitting room, with Harry Potter on one side of him and the son of Remus Lupin in his arms. 

The word surreal did not begin to cover it. 

He looked down at Teddy and thought to himself that he seemed to be a rather unremarkable baby. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but he was relieved to see that he could spot no resemblance to Remus Lupin in his face. He thought perhaps Teddy was too young to resemble anyone, though he did have very chubby and pink cheeks and possibly the tiniest ears that Snape had ever seen up close. Teddy smacked his lips a little, a tiny frown creasing his smooth forehead. He noticed, too, that his eyelashes were almost as long as Harry’s and he wondered what color his eyes were naturally. 

Snape was fairly absorbed in examining Teddy’s little face, so he was not expecting it when Harry startled awake. It seemed that he had not lost the tendency to spring awake from a deep sleep and he flailed his arm around, clearly trying to reach for the nightstand to get his glasses in his confusion. 

“Potter!” Snape hissed quietly. 

Harry focused on him then and saw that Snape was holding up his glasses in his hand. Harry took them gratefully and only after he had put them on did he seem to notice the addition of a sleeping baby to their mix. 

“Teddy!” he whispered loudly. “When did Andi get here?” 

“Not long ago. The baby has apparently been making himself a nuisance all morning so she foisted him off to me as soon as she got here.”

“Well, here, let me take him from you then,” Harry said, beginning to slide his hands under Teddy’s body. 

Snape moved away slightly, feeling strangely reluctant to let the solid weight of the baby go, and Harry looked up at him in confusion. “Everyone knows not to disturb a sleeping baby, Potter. Go say hello to Andromeda. We will be fine here…” 

Harry smiled sweetly. “Are you sure? Will you be alright?” 

“I believe I am capable of holding a sleeping baby,” Snape said, glaring at him. 

“Okay, okay, if you insist,” Harry said, standing up and stretching slowly. He looked around carefully before leaning down and kissing Snape on the lips. “Call out if you need anything.” 

Snape sat alone with Teddy for a little while longer and he could begin to hear movements above him. Andromeda had been right; the smell of breakfast seemed to have awoken the house. He very gingerly shifted Teddy a little to reach into his pocket and he pulled out several vials of his own special Hangover Potion. He set them on the coffee table in front of him, just as Arthur came down the stairs, looking pale and bleary-eyed. He looked mildly surprised to see Snape sitting with Teddy, but he followed his movements and his eyes lit up when he saw what Snape had put down. 

“Good lord, is that your Hangover Potion, Severus?” Arthur asked eagerly, snatching up a vial and beginning to unstopper it. Snape nodded and Arthur downed it in one gulp. Snape was satisfied to see the color come back into his face and his eyes looked much less bloodshot. “Oh yes, that’s the stuff. Good man, Severus.” 

The rest of the Weasleys came down after and Arthur had them all come over to the table and drink some of the potion. Snape only nodded as each of them thanked him. Harry came in then, blinking in surprise at the sight of all the Weasleys gathered around Snape and Teddy.

“Breakfast is ready everyone,” he called out and they all moved en masse to the kitchen, leaving only Harry, Teddy and Snape in the sitting room. Harry took Teddy from Snape and this time he let him, urgently needing to use the facilities and hungry for the breakfast he had been smelling for the last thirty minutes. 

Snape stood and stretched and he could see the movement had woken up Teddy, who was smiling up at Harry, who looked absolutely thrilled. 

“Hello Ted! Was Severus comfortable to sleep on?” 

Teddy made a cooing noise in reply and Harry nodded as if he knew exactly what Teddy was communicating. 

“Mmhmm, yes, I agree. Very comfy,” he said, wandering into the kitchen with Teddy. He looked back over his shoulder to address Snape. “Are you staying for breakfast?” 

“Yes, I will only be a moment,” he replied, gathering up the empty vials from the coffee table. 

He joined the rest of the party in the kitchen and found himself squeezed between Harry and Charlie Weasley on the bench. Both Harry and Snape did not say much during breakfast, both seemingly content with listening to the conversation swirling around them. 

As they were finishing up, Harry leaned over to speak quietly to him. “I have a present for you. Can you come up to Ron’s room for a moment?” 

He nodded his approval and they cleared their dishes and then headed up the rickety stairs, all the way to the very top. Harry opened the door and retrieved the wrapped present from the bag at the end of his bed. 

“I’d ask you to sit down, but there’s really not much room,” Harry said, handing over the present. 

Snape took it, carefully unwrapping the paper to reveal the newest edition of _Quidditch Through the Ages_. He looked up and saw that Harry was grinning at him. 

“There’s a bookmark in there, if you want to flip it open,” he explained. Snape flipped it open and the pages fell straight to the place where the page was marked. He noticed that it was the section on the Chudley Cannons and the bookmark actually turned out to be two tickets to the home opener of the Cannons. “You don’t have to take me, of course.”

“Who else would I take, Potter? Is this because of my password?” Harry continued to grin at him and nodded his head. “Did it ever occur to you that I might hate the Cannons and chose that password because no one would ever be able to guess it?” 

The grin slipped off Harry’s face in a rather comical way. “No, it hadn’t actually. Damn,” he muttered, looking up at Snape. Apparently, he saw something in Snape’s face because he narrowed his eyes a little. “In that case, I’ll just take these back and give them to Ron.” 

Harry made to snatch them from Snape’s hand but Snape was too quick. He held them high above his head, far out of Harry’s reach, his knuckles touching the low ceiling of the room. 

“Now that’s just not fair,” Harry said, grunting a little as he stood on his tiptoes to try to reach them. Snape hooked his arm around Harry’s lower back and pulled him into him, catching his lips in a kiss that took Harry by surprise for only a moment. Soon Harry had both arms wrapped around his neck and the kiss turned intense. Snape pushed him back gently, knowing that they could be discovered at any second. Harry pouted a little but seemed to understand what Snape was doing. 

“Thank you for the tickets, Harry,” he said, giving Harry another quick kiss. “I got you something as well.” 

“You did?” Harry asked excitedly, looking down at Snape’s robes, clearly wondering where it was hidden. Snape pulled another vial from his pocket and handed it to Harry. “Memories? You got me memories?” 

“Yes, some of my memories of your mother. From the time we were children, all the way through our time at Hogwarts. There may even be some of your father and his hooligan gang in there too,” Snape said, sneering slightly at the sentimentality that had driven him to include memories of Harry’s father that he knew Harry would appreciate. 

“Thank you, Severus. Can I come to your office to look at them when we’re back at school?” 

“That’s what I had thought you might want to do. If you would like to look at the memories together, we can do that, or you can view them alone, whichever you prefer.” 

Harry seemed to consider the question for a moment. “I’ll have to think about that some more. For now, I think I need to head downstairs and leave with Andi and Teddy,” he said, yawning a little as he shouldered his bag. “I’m already looking forward to taking a nap with Teddy this afternoon.” 

They went downstairs and said good-bye to the Weasleys and Snape walked out with Harry, Andromeda and Teddy. He waved them away as they disapparated and not even try to hide his smile as he apparated away.

==/==/==

The students arrived back to school not long after the New Year and Snape fell into the same routine that he had before, though he felt much more at ease than he did before the break. He thought that Harry would return to his normal distance from Snape after the break, but he seemed changed too. Every morning, he would catch Snape’s eye and smile at him as soon as he came into the Great Hall. Harry also did not forget his birthday, a small box of expensive chocolates arriving by school owl on the morning on the ninth.

Snape was getting a little concerned that he had perhaps miscalculated with his gift of the memories. He had thought that Harry would be beating down his door to view them, but as January slipped into February, he still had not shown up to use the Pensieve. He decided that if Harry did not want to look at the memories, then he would not pester him about it. After all, they were his memories now. 

As he sipped his Firewhiskey by the fire on a particularly cold night in early February, he heard a quiet knock coming from the door leading to his office from the spiral staircase. 

He opened the door to reveal nothing and he could hear the rustle of a cloak glide by and he turned to see Harry reveal himself from under his Cloak. He was holding an old piece of parchment in his hand and he recognized it at once as the one that had insulted him years ago. He raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Harry. 

“Head Boy, out of bed after curfew,” Snape tsked, shaking his head slowly. 

“I like to think of curfew as more of a guideline and less of a hard-and-fast rule. Besides, I made sure no one could see me,” Harry replied, holding up the parchment in way of explanation. Harry could apparently tell that his words were not satisfying Snape. “I told you it was a bad idea for me to be Head Boy.”

Snape snorted. “Care to explain why my Head Boy is wandering around after curfew, Potter?” 

“I wanted to watch the memories you gave me,” Harry explained. “Is this an okay time?” 

Snape did not reply, instead leading him over to the cabinet with the Pensieve. Harry took the vial of memories out but took a moment to look at the runes that were etched into the side of the Pensieve. “Hey! I know what these mean now!” 

“Ancient Runes is going well, then?” 

“Yeah, I really like it. Arthimancy is kicking my arse, but I think I should scrape an A.” Harry took off his Cloak and draped it over the back of a chair and took the stopper out of the vial. “If you don’t mind, I think I would like to look at them alone.” 

“Of course,” Snape replied. “I’ll be in my sitting room. Come by after you’re done?” 

Harry nodded distractedly, pouring the memories in and bending over the Pensieve to view them. Snape left him alone then, returning to his place by the fire. It was over an hour later when Harry finally came in to join him. Instead of looking happy, as he had anticipated, Harry looked distraught as he flopped onto the couch. 

“I had expected you to be happier to see memories of your parents,” Snape said, confused at Harry’s forlorn expression. 

“I am happy and that’s exactly the problem!” Harry exclaimed. He fished around in his pocket, bringing out the beat up Snitch that Snape knew housed the Resurrection Stone. “You have to take this from me.” 

Harry tried to push the Snitch into his hand, but Snape refused to take it. “It’s not mine to take, Potter.” 

“Please, it’s too tempting. It’s why I haven’t been by before to look at the memories. I knew this would happen. Seeing them young and alive makes me want so desperately to talk to them. So, please, take this away from me!” Harry pleaded, finally succeeding in passing off the Snitch to Snape. 

“And what of my temptations? Perhaps I would use it and you are just pushing your responsibilities onto me,” Snape said, feeling the urge to speak to Lily strongly and knowing he was not strong enough to resist it. 

Harry shook his head vigorously. “Only I can get into the Snitch. You can’t get to the Stone. I’m sorry to ask this of you, but I thought this might be the best. If only I can get into the Snitch and you have it hidden somewhere then no one can use it.” 

“Why can’t I get into the Snitch?” Snape asked. 

“Sense memory. It’s the Snitch from my first Quidditch match. Don’t you remember? I caught it with my mouth, so it only opens when I put it to my mouth,” Harry explained. 

“Funny, I do _not_ remember that, seeing as how I was busy putting out the fire that had mysteriously began on my robes,” Snape said, glaring at Harry. 

Harry scratched the back of his neck, looking chagrined. “Heh, you should remind me to tell you a funny story about that…when you’re in a better mood, that is. But you’ll take it, won’t you? Keep it somewhere safe, where I can’t find it?” 

Snape had to admit that Harry’s logic was sound and Snape could not bear the thought of Harry descending into the madness of spending all his time with the specters of his dead parents, or worse, Sirius Black. 

“I will keep it for you,” he stated simply, putting in his pocket and trying to think of a sufficient place to hide it. He did not expect Harry to steal it back, but he also did not want to run the risk of anyone accidentally coming across it either. 

Harry’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you, Severus,” he sighed. He stood up and pulled the old piece of parchment out of his pocket. “I should head back now. I’ll make sure no one sees me.” 

“I recognize that parchment, you know?” 

“Ah, I wondered if you did. Do you want to see how it works?” Harry asked. Snape was intensely curious about it, so he nodded his head. Harry sat down next to him. “Hold on, I never turned it off. Mischief managed,” Harry said, tapping it with the Elder Wand. 

“Okay, so this is called the Marauder’s Map. It’s a map of Hogwarts that my father and his friends made. You have to say ‘I solemnly swear that I’m up to no good’ for it to work.” Harry tapped the map again with the wand and Snape could now see the outlines of Hogwarts beginning to form. Harry unfolded and refolded the map several times, clearly having a great amount of experience with finding what he needed. “It shows everyone in the school; see…that’s us, but I think my dad never visited the Headmaster’s private rooms so it’s just an empty space with us in it, instead of a drawing of the rooms.” 

Snape shook his head as he looked at the map. Harry handed it to him and walked around the room to demonstrate how the map could track movement. He was amazed by the detail of the map. 

“Potter? Do you ever imagine what your father and his friends could have done if they used their intellect for good instead of trying to achieve the most chaos and mischief possible?” 

Harry laughed. “Yes, all the time. I wonder all the time what Dad would have achieved if it wasn’t for Voldemort. Questions like that are the exact reason why I don’t trust myself with the Stone.” 

Harry took the map from Snape’s hands and showed him how he could find the best path back to Gryffindor Tower, avoiding Filch and his cat and anything else moving around the castle at this late hour. He walked with Harry to where he had left his Cloak and watched as he fastened it around his neck. 

Before Harry put the hood up, he looked up at Snape. “I suppose, since we’re back at school now, that I can’t give you a kiss goodnight?” 

“No, Potter, I don’t think that would be wise,” Snape said, moving away from Harry, who sighed. 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought you would say,” he said, moving the Cloak around himself so that all Snape could see was his head floating in mid-air. “Oh, I did want to ask if I could get permission to visit Teddy on the next Hogsmeade weekend. It’s the day before Valentine’s Day and I figure Hogsmeade will be insufferable.” 

“I shall write you the note tomorrow. Pick it up during open office hours the Friday before,” Snape replied. 

“Thank you,” Harry said, pulling his hood up and disappearing completely. 

Snape moved toward the door and opened it for him, expecting to hear footsteps pass him. Instead, he felt Harry’s hand grip his arm and pull himself up. An invisible kiss was placed on his cheek and he could feel the cloak swish by his legs. 

“Brat,” he whispered and he thought he could hear the ghost of Harry’s laugh as he closed the door.

==/==/==

Harry did get his permission slip with little ceremony and he made no other effort to come see Snape at night again over the next two months. He did notice that Harry had stopped going over to the Slytherin table as much as he had been before Christmas Break and rarely spoke to Zabini for very long. He surmised, since he never saw Zabini and Ginny Weasley together, that their New Year’s tryst had fizzled quickly. Harry had told him that there was nothing to be jealous of and Snape believed him, but he could not help but feel happy that they were not as close as they once appeared.

At the last meeting with the Head Boy and Girl before Easter break, he held Harry back. 

“I see that your name is down to stay at Hogwarts over the break.” 

“Yes, sir,” Harry said, giving away nothing. 

“I would have thought you would be invited to the Weasleys’ house for the break,” Snape said. “Is everything okay with you and Ronald?”

“Oh, I was invited! Everything is fine with me and Ron. I just need the time to study for my exams. The A in Arthimancy is starting to look less likely, so Professor Vector has agreed to extra tutoring over the break,” Harry explained. “Hermione was very impressed that I elected to stay to study.”

“I imagine she was,” Snape said, relieved that there had not been a falling out between Harry and the Weasleys. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on her face when she tried to give me a revising schedule and I told her that I already had one.” Harry’s eyes unfocused a little, clearly reveling in the memory and Snape chuckled a little, which seemed to break Harry out of his memory. “Oh, but I guess since I’m staying at the castle for break, I’ll need another permission slip to leave the grounds.” 

“Off to see Teddy and Andromeda, again?” he asked, pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment to write the note. 

“No,” Harry said shortly, clearly not wanting to say anything else. 

Snape paused in the writing of the note. “It is my duty as Headmaster to know where you’re going when you leave school grounds, Potter.” 

Harry looked like he was deciding whether or not to be stubborn about keeping his silence. After a few moments, he relented. “It’ll be the first anniversary of a friend of mine dying and I want to visit his grave.” Snape searched his memory, trying to think of who had died in April of the previous year that Harry would want to visit. Harry could see Snape trying to figure it out and took mercy on him. “It was a house-elf by the name of Dobby. He saved us from Malfoy Manor and Bellatrix Lestrange killed him. I buried him at Shell Cottage, where Bill and Fleur live.” 

“You were friends with a house-elf?” Snape asked, feeling like he was missing large chunks of this story. 

“Yes,” Harry said fiercely, glaring at Snape. “He was a very good friend and without him Voldemort would have killed me and all my friends in the dining room of Malfoy Manor.” 

Snape held up his hand placatingly. “I do not doubt your friendship with the house-elf, Harry. I simply did not know about it.” 

“Sorry. I’m a little sensitive about it still. It’ll be hard, I think, to go see him again,” Harry said, swallowing thickly. 

Snape picked up the blank piece of parchment and returned it to his drawer. Harry’s face quickly turned murderous in a way that Snape had not seen since their time in the Shrieking Shack. He forgot how formidable Harry could be when he was angry. “You do not need a note from the Headmaster to leave the grounds if the Headmaster accompanies you,” he said in way of explanation. 

Harry deflated slightly. “Oh,” he said, pausing for a minute, clearly trying to get his emotions under control. “You want to come with me?” 

“You said you thought it might be difficult for you. I am offering my support.” 

“Oh,” Harry said again, looking a little stunned. “That would be really nice. Thank you.”

==/==/==

At the beginning of Easter break, Snape carefully wrote out his end of term report for the school governors. He felt grateful that he had been granted a relatively peaceful year as Headmaster, though he knew that most of the credit for the peace at Hogwarts was due to the peace in the greater Wizarding World. Whatever the cause, he would take it. He felt good that he could report that students were not committing any major rules infractions and his inter-House cooperation efforts were largely a success. The amount of inter-House snogging that the professors and Head Boy and Girl broke up had to be testament to that.

When the letter from the governors returned to him, he was relieved to see that they once again seemed to approve of his work as Headmaster, but he was worried that they still had not offered him a renewal contract. He thought it might have something to do with the latter half of the letter, which outlined that with the fall of so many pure-blood families in the war, the donations that the school relied on were down by a large percentage. Though no one had explicitly told him that he was responsible for fundraising, he could read between the lines well enough. 

As he waited for Harry to arrive on their appointed day to visit his friend’s grave, Snape was absorbed in thinking about how to solve this issue. Unfortunately, he had never been one for politics and he knew well that fundraising was largely a game of politics. He could not abide simpering and smiling at people to gain their money, but he could also not abide _not_ being Headmaster. 

He did not hear Harry arrive and was startled when he heard his name being called by Harry and he got the impression that it was not the first time he had tried to get his attention. 

“I apologize. I was deep in thought. Are you ready to leave?” he asked, gathering his cloak. 

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Harry said, his head tilted a little and not making a move to head to the door. “Are you alright?” 

“I’m fine, Potter,” Snape said, leading them to the door. 

“No, you’re not,” Harry replied, stepping in front of him. “Tell me what’s wrong.” 

“Nothing is _wrong_ ,” he said and Harry gave him a disbelieving look, so he reluctantly continued. “I had a letter from the governors. They think I’m doing well as Headmaster, but they have indicated that more money needs to be raised before the end of the school year. I was simply trying to come up with ideas.”

Harry moved out of the way and they walked through the school together. “Hmm, what did other Headmasters do to fundraise?” 

“They accepted the Galleons from the pure-blood families who thought to buy influence for themselves and their children by funding the school. The end of the war also brought an end to this,” he said and he could see Harry frowning. “One of the few unexpected downsides of the fall of the Dark Lord, unfortunately.” 

“Do you have any ideas yet? I could help you talk them through if you needed,” Harry said hopefully, looking eager to help him. 

“I have plenty of ideas, Potter. Each more ridiculous and uninspired as the last one,” Snape said to end the conversation. They had reached the gates of Hogwarts and he knew that this day was supposed to be about Harry. 

Harry pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket and Snape read it: _Bill and Fleur Weasley live at Shell Cottage, outside Tinworth in Cornwall._

“It might be easiest if I side-along you,” Harry said, holding out his arm. Snape gripped it firmly and was whisked away. Before he could open his eyes, he smelled the salty air and could hear the crash of the waves. 

When he did open his eyes, he was struck by the beauty of the place they found themselves. He could spot the cottage at the top of a small hill, overlooking the sea. Harry led them in that direction. He pointed to another small rise behind the house. 

“Dobby is buried over there. I thought we should probably stop in to the cottage to say hi. Bill and Fleur are expecting us,” he explained. “I know that you’re here to support me, but would it be very rude if I visited Dobby’s grave by myself?” 

 

“No, of course not,” Snape replied, not expecting anything else. Harry seemed to need to do things like this in private. 

“You’ll have to socialize with _Weasleys_ ,” he said. 

“Only one actual Weasley. The other is only by marriage. I believe I shall survive,” Snape said, causing Harry to smile slightly. 

Harry knocked on the door and they were welcomed warmly by Bill and Fleur, who ushered them into the small kitchen for a cup of tea. Snape noticed that Harry was not as effusive as he would normally have been, so he attempted to take up the brunt of the small talk with their hosts. He hoped that Harry was appreciating his efforts, but mentally kicked himself for the selfish thought. 

As the conversation waned, he turned to Harry and was shocked to see him looking pale, his eyes unfocused. “Potter,” he said quietly and Harry startled as if he had shouted at him. 

“Sorry, what? Did you say something to me?” he asked anxiously. 

“No, I was only going to inquire if you should not head up to the grave now.” 

“Oh yeah. That sounds good. Right,” he said, still sitting in his chair. “I’m not sure I can…” 

Harry sounded miserable and Snape could see how hard this was for him, but they had come all this way and he knew it was what Harry wanted. Bill and Fleur both stood, sharing a look between them, and began to clear the dishes, providing Snape and Harry cover for their conversation. 

“We did not come all this way to have tea with the Weasleys, Potter. You came here for a purpose and you should get on with it,” Snape said sternly. He hoped he was not being too harsh, but he felt it had to be done. 

“You’re right,” Harry said forlornly. “I don’t know what to do; what I should say to him…” 

“You do not have to do or say anything. You wanted to come, to pay your respects. If you wish, you can do it in five minutes or you can stay for five hours. I am at your disposal all day. Just do what feels right.” Harry was silent for a few moments but seemed no closer to getting up. “I visited your mother’s grave once, to pay respects.” 

“You did?” Harry said, looking up. Snape had clearly gotten his attention and he nodded. “What did you do when you were there?” 

“Well, I cried like a baby mostly. I felt very guilty about my role in the deaths of your parents, so I begged for her forgiveness. I promised…I promised that I would try to look after you when you came to Hogwarts. I’m not sure I lived up to that promise, but I did try,” Snape said, remembering with distaste the long years after Lily’s death. 

“You did help me. I was too stupid to realize it, but you did what you could,” Harry said earnestly. 

Snape saw that Harry’s focus was back on him, but it was not what he wanted. “So, you see? It will be hard, but you felt it was necessary when you asked me permission to leave school to do it and it is no less important now. Use some of your overabundance of courage and get a move on, Potter. I have things to do before the students come back tonight,” he concluded, turning back to his tea, knowing the decision was in Harry’s hands now. 

He could hear Harry sigh heavily from beside him, but he stood up and left the cottage soon after and Snape smiled to himself. 

Bill cleared his throat, drawing Snape’s attention to him. He suspected that Bill and Fleur had heard the entire conversation that he had had with Harry and he wondered what they had made of it. 

“Harry might be a while, Headmaster. Would you like to wait in the sitting room? There are some books that you are more than welcome to read or I think the latest version of the Quibbler is in there, too,” Bill said, indicating the door to the sitting room. 

Snape was grateful to Bill that he would not force him into small talk for the duration of Harry’s visit with his friend. He bypassed the Quibbler as he took a seat on the couch, instead reaching for a novel that was on the side table. He barely knew what he was reading, but it kept his mind occupied as he waited. 

After about an hour, he began to check his watch at regular intervals. He had mentioned that Harry could spend five hours with his friend if he wanted, but he hadn’t actually expected it to be the case. After two hours, he stood, determined to check on Harry, despite his wish to be alone. If he wanted more time, he would simply return to the cottage and wait more. 

He made his way up the dune, the wind whipping his hair and robe around him. He could see Harry hunched over, a fresh looking wreath of white flowers placed around the stone Harry was kneeling next to. He could tell that Harry had not heard his approach and he did not know how to alert him without scaring him. 

“Harry,” he said softly, reaching for his shoulder. 

Harry whipped around, his wand appearing in his right hand in an instant before he saw that it was Snape approaching him. His face crumpled as he staggered toward Snape, arms circling his waist and pressing his face tightly against his chest. 

Snape held him as he sobbed out his grief, rubbing his back with one hand and carding through his hair with the other. After several long minutes, it seemed that Harry had cried himself out and he lifted his head from Snape’s chest. 

“It’s all so pointless,” Harry said bitterly, sniffling a little. “All the death that Voldemort caused. All for some stupid idea about blood purity and a sick need for power over everything.” Snape did not know what to say and sensed that Harry did not really expect an answer. He put his head back down on Snape’s chest, but he seemed to be done crying for now. “I think I’m ready to go now.” 

“Alright, we should go tell Bill and Fleur that we are leaving.” Harry shook his head, clearly not wanting to go back to the cottage. “Would you prefer that I go by myself?”

“Yes, could you, please?” Harry asked. “Tell them I’ll write them later. And tell them thank you for having us.” Snape turned to walk away, but Harry called after him. “Tell them I’m sorry too…” 

“Potter!” Snape cut in, knowing that Harry was working himself up again over not saying a proper goodbye to the Weasleys. “I will make your excuses for you. They understand why you came here and they won’t be angry that you are leaving without saying goodbye.” 

“Right, okay. Thank you,” Harry said as he walked away. 

Snape returned to the cottage, knocking on the door. Fleur answered the door and made to let him come through. 

“I’m afraid, Mrs. Weasley, that Harry and I need to return to Hogwarts now. As Headmaster, I cannot be away for too long, so we, unfortunately, have to cut our visit short,” he said politely. 

“Ah, of course, ‘eadmaster,” Fleur said, nodding her understanding. “Tell ‘Arry we ‘ope to see him again soon and that Bill and I ‘ope he found some peace ‘ere with his little friend.” 

“I will. Thank you,” Snape said, turning away and making his way back to Harry, who was looking at him anxiously. “All is well, Potter, do not look so worried,” he said, holding out his arm so they could apparate away. 

When they landed, Harry took a step back, blinking in surprise. “This isn’t Hogwarts.” 

“Astute observation, Potter. The alley behind the local in Cokesworth is not Hogwarts,” Snape replied, rolling his eyes a little. 

“We’re at a pub?” Harry asked, as if he was shocked that such a place even existed. 

“Yes, I figured we could both use a drink and I wouldn’t mind some lunch,” he explained, as he removed his cloak and robe and folded them over his arm to appear more Muggle-like. Harry quickly followed suit and they made their way into the pub.


	7. Chapter 7

They sat mostly in silence in the tiny booth they had ensconced themselves in, eating their Shepard’s pies and drinking their ales. Harry had a faraway look in his eye and Snape took the time to observe him. Despite his slightly red eyes, Harry looked incredibly handsome. His hair was longer than it had been at the beginning of the year and the wind off the sea had whipped it into a frenzy. A lock of it fell over his scar and the curl was resting perfectly on top of his glasses. Snape reached out to move it out of the way and Harry focused on him then, a soft smile on his face. 

“Are you feeling better?” Snape asked. 

“Yeah, I think so. The food definitely helped. I didn’t realize it would affect me that badly, seeing Dobby’s grave. I don’t think I’ll be able to go back again,” Harry replied, shaking his head a little. “Did you ever go visit Mum’s grave again?” 

“No, I never did, but I have been thinking about it more recently. It was actually your trip today that started me thinking on it again,” he said. 

“Maybe we could go together?” Harry said. “We can visit together or I can do what you did for me. I can just stay by the gate or something?” 

“Perhaps,” he said noncommittally, thinking that it was sweet for Harry to offer, but struggling to imagine Harry not coming in to see his parents if they did end up going. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they finished their meal. 

The waitress came to gather their dishes and they ordered another round. Harry slid down a little in his seat and stretched his legs out, sliding one between Snape’s legs until his knee was pressed firmly into his thigh. Snape adjusted slightly and wrapped both his feet around Harry’s ankle, trapping his leg there. Harry grinned at him, blushing a little. The thought of Harry’s legs entangled with his and the thought that Harry was most likely hard was getting him excited. 

Suddenly, he found himself bewildered. Why would someone as appealing as Harry play footsie with him in a dingy Cokeworth pub? He knew who he was – what he looked like. The very notion was absurd. It must be a trick or a game for Harry and he moved to withdraw his legs, now completely unsure of himself. 

“Hey,” Harry said in protest, clamping his legs together to keep Snape in place. “What’s that look for? Why do you look so worried all of a sudden?” 

Harry looked as confused as Snape felt and Snape was embarrassed by having been caught out by Harry in his moment of doubt and weakness. He knew that he had to tread carefully with Harry. He knew from experience that Harry would not appreciate his feelings being called into question, but Snape felt it necessary to get to the bottom of why Harry liked him. His mind would never be at ease until he heard it from Harry and he found taking it on blind faith was no longer working for him. 

He cleared his throat, trying to figure out where to begin. “I know that we have already covered the part where you claim that I am yours and you are mine.” He could see that Harry was about to protest the way he had worded his statement, so he quickly went on. “And I do not wish to dispute that, but I do wonder…why? You could literally have anyone you wanted; you are young and beautiful and famous. I am old and ugly and…infamous might be the more accurate word for what I am…” Snape felt incredibly vulnerable and Harry was looking at him with such concern. “Was it because of what I did for you in the Forest?” 

Harry looked down then, blushing as he moved that lock of hair off his forehead again. “It’s funny that you ask that, because it wasn’t exactly that. It was actually before that…” 

Snape narrowed his eyes a little. “How much longer before the Forest was it exactly?” Harry only blushed harder and continued to look away. Snape was amazed at the thought that Harry could possibly have liked him before he revealed himself to have been on Harry’s side all along. “Potter, answer me. How long?” 

“Well, do you remember, in my sixth year, that I found your old Potions book?” Harry asked. 

Snape rolled his eyes, thinking of the trouble that book had caused him. “Yes, how could I ever forget that?” 

“Right,” Harry said, looking apologetic. “What you might not know was that I was obsessed with it. I read it _constantly_. Ask Ron or Hermione. I didn’t put it down for pretty much all of sixth year. I even slept with it in my bed. Of course, I had no idea who the Prince was, but the idea of a funny, intelligent, sarcastic…prince was very intriguing to me.” 

“Was it?” Snape asked, gratified to hear Harry’s good opinion of his teenaged self. 

“You remember last summer saying that thing about muggle therapists having a field day with you? Well what about me? The first girl that I ‘dated’ cried constantly and saw me as some sort of second rate substitute for Cedric Diggory and the second girl I dated looks almost exactly like my mother,” Harry said, shuddering a little. 

Snape tried to hide his smirk at the fact that Harry had actually seen the similarities between Ginny Weasley and Lily. “I had noticed that about the Weasley girl…,” he replied, as diplomatically as possible.

“Right? So anyway, yes, the Prince was very appealing to me,” Harry said, looking away again with a pensive expression. “Let’s just say I had some very odd wanking sessions that year.”

Snape shifted a little in his seat, his legs rubbing against Harry’s. The thought of Harry wanking to thoughts of him, even if the thoughts were about his writings in an old textbook, was getting him halfway hard. 

Before he could fully envision Harry spread out on a bed, wanking to thoughts of his younger self, Harry continued, with a much more serious tone. “But then, I used the Prince’s spell against Malfoy and almost killed him,” he said, pausing slightly before adding, “Did I ever thank you for saving him, by the way?” 

Snape thought back to the moment in the bathroom, how he had kneeled over Malfoy as he almost bled to death, unsure whether he could save him, and how the anger he had felt then at the mess they had all found themselves in overwhelmed him. 

“No, you did not thank me, but that was probably for the best. I might have murdered you if you even looked at me in that moment.” 

Harry looked stricken and swallowed thickly. “Well anyway, I am sorry that I used that spell and I am glad that you saved him, but when I used it, I…I felt like the Prince had betrayed me in some way. And then that night…on the Astronomy Tower and when I followed you onto the grounds…it seemed for all the world like you AND the Prince had betrayed me again.” 

Snape wasn’t sure what to say. They had carefully avoided speaking of anything related to that time in their shared history. Snape had known that they would eventually have to face some of their past and it was proving to be just as difficult as he feared. 

Harry continued his story, much quieter than before, but Snape felt reassured that Harry was still willing to meet his eye and that their legs were still entwined. 

“I’ve hinted at it before Severus, but last year was a right mess. No, see, that’s still underselling it,” Harry said, looking frustrated with himself. He thought for a moment before continuing again. “Hermione told me once, during one of our _many_ long talks in that stupid tent that a Muggle had described war as – how did she put it – ‘interminable stretches of boredom punctuated by moments of extreme terror.’ I found that to be very accurate. In that kind of environment, you have a lot of time to think and so I thought about Dumbledore, and you, and Ginny, and the Prince, and my parents, and all that I had been through. But I also daydreamed about what life might be like after the war…if I lived.” 

Harry trailed off then, lost in his own thoughts. 

“And what did those daydreams consist of? How did you want your life to be?” Snape asked quietly, not wanting to sidetrack Harry from his story, but also intensely curious. 

“I wanted – I want – a quiet, peaceful life. I want a _home_ ,” Harry said plaintively, looking at Snape with his expressive eyes, “somewhere that feels safe, that I can come back to after a long day and know that it’s mine, where I’m welcomed for who I am. Where I’m appreciated. And as pathetic as it might sound, I desperately want a person to be there waiting for me. Someone who will help me and who I can help in return.” 

Snape, who knew a thing or two about this particular feeling of longing, nodded understandingly. “You want family.” 

“Yes, that’s it exactly,” Harry said, smiling softly. 

“And you have somehow concluded that I am this person for you?” he asked, trying to put the pieces together but still not understanding. 

Harry looked shy again and looked down, smiling a little. He shrugged, as if the question didn’t really matter to him. “I think you are…I hope.” 

“Because of some notes I wrote in the margins of my textbook when I was 17?” Snape asked scathingly, still not really understanding what Harry was trying to express to him. 

Harry laughed a little, rolling his eyes. “Not _just_ that, but yes, that’s a part of it. It’s also what you did for our side in the war. And frankly, it doesn’t hurt that I’m physically attracted to you as well, you know?” he asked, looking at Snape like he was just a little bit slow. 

Snape scoffed loudly. “Now you’re just being ridiculous.” 

“Fine!” Harry said defiantly. “Believe what you want, but I’m just saying that you have been, in one form or another, the cause of pretty much all my wanking for going on three years now.” 

If Snape had been half hard before, he was almost fully erect now, thinking of Harry pleasuring himself to thoughts of how Snape was now. He knew, on some level, that Harry must be telling the truth. They had kissed, quite passionately, and had gotten each other off. Harry had said that thoughts of Snape kept him hard all the time. He still found it hard to believe, though. 

“Do you want me to tell you the rest?” Harry asked. 

“There’s more?” 

“Yeah, I’ve known for a while that you would ask me this question, about why I…like you,” Harry said and Snape was curious what the hesitancy in Harry’s voice meant. “So, I’ve thought about it a lot. It’s weird though. Professor Vector started tutoring me on working Arthimancy problems backwards if I get stuck. This conversation is kind of like that. I already _knew_ the answer. I like you and have for a while, but I knew you would need more than just me saying that.” 

“Tell me the rest then.” 

“You asked if it was your actions in the Forest that led me to how I feel about you and I was honest when I said it had happened before that, but I do think the Forest was the turning point. I had been attracted to _you_ physically but I hated you for your betrayal. I had been attracted to the Half-Blood Prince mentally, but thought he was unattainable. It wasn’t until I woke up in the Forest to see you surrounded by dead Death Eaters and looking so…so devastated that these two separate _things_ in my head merged into one person. And it was you, standing right there in front of me,” Harry said, looking at him so fondly that it almost physically pained him. “So, when I saw Voldemort turn to you, I just knew…knew that I had to save you and that I had to try to prove to you that there could be – well I keep saying that I think there could be _something_ between us – but what I really mean is love. And I do, you know. I do love you. I know that it’s too early and you don’t have to say it back, but I’ve wanted to tell you that for a long time now. And I hope that you won’t mind if I do say it to you…every once in a while.” 

Harry finished his drink abruptly and stood up. “I’ll give you a moment to digest all that. I have to use the loo.” 

Snape nodded his acknowledgement of where Harry was going distractedly. 

Love. 

Harry had actually used the word love. His mind had turned to sludge, as thick and unyielding as one of Neville Longbottom’s botched Potions attempts. He couldn’t get himself to process it. Harry Potter…in love with him, Severus Snape. Or at least that was what Harry said. He stopped himself, shaking his head a little. He had to stop thinking that way. He _had_ to keep his promise; that he would believe what Harry told him. Harry was just as honest and open as Lily had been. It was one of the things that he loved about them, though in slightly different ways. Lily had been his best friend, but he didn’t want to be friends with Harry. 

He wanted _more_. 

He realized, as he sat in the dimly lit corner booth of the pub that his father had gotten drunk in almost every night of his childhood, that all he had to do to achieve this _more_ was to believe Harry. Everything he wanted was right there for the taking and take it is exactly what Snape was going to do. 

He quickly left some Muggle money on the table to cover their tab and picked up their cloaks. He met Harry halfway back to their table and Harry looked confused as Snape took his elbow and steered him out of the pub and back into the alley. 

“Severus, are you mad at me?” Harry said anxiously. 

“No,” Snape replied shortly, caught up in deciding what he wanted to do next. “Do you always carry your Invisibility Cloak?” 

Harry nodded and reached for the pocket of the cloak that was still over Snape’s arm. He fished it out and handed it to Snape, clearly not understanding what was going on, but also putting his trust in Snape. Snape stepped closer to Harry and threw the Cloak around the both of them and dropped their outer cloaks on the ground at their feet. He could see Harry’s breath speed up at how close they were. 

“Put up all the privacy spells that you know on this alley, Potter,” Snape instructed. He waited patiently as Harry retrieved his own wand from its holster and he could feel the strength of Harry’s spells encasing them. He knew that no one would be able to see or hear them, not under the double protection of Harry’s spells and Cloak. 

He took a moment to give a quick thanks to Harry’s unhealthy levels of paranoia and began to unbuckle Harry’s jeans as Harry put his wand back into its holster. 

Harry spluttered a little, his face going red. “What are you doing?” he asked incredulously, his eyes wide behind his glasses. 

Snape had thought it was rather obvious what it was they were about to do in the back alley behind a pub with Harry’s industrial strength privacy spells around them, but Snape realized that Harry might still be slightly naïve about these sort of things. Snape also realized that he did not mind at all that Harry was inexperienced. He found he couldn’t wait to show him all the debauched things his mind could think up. 

His hand went back to the button of Harry’s jeans. “Potter, I am not as open and honest as you are about my feelings. After twenty years as a spy, I find that I cannot always say exactly what’s on my mind, even if I want to. But I _can_ show you,” he said, wrapping his hand around Harry’s cock as he pulled him into a heated kiss. 

Harry immediately melted into him, opening his mouth to take Snape’s tongue as it slid across his own. Snape continued to stroke Harry through his pants and Harry quickly set a rhythm with his hips, pushing his cock against Snape’s hand on every down stroke. Snape did not let him break the kiss and soon Harry was breathing hard through his nose and moaning deeply around Snape’s tongue. 

He could tell that Harry was getting close, so he finally broke away from Harry’s mouth and removed his hand from his pants. Harry whined a little at the loss of contact and made to grab Snape’s shoulders to pull him back down. 

“I have a better idea,” Snape said, dropping to his knees and pulling Harry’s cock fully out. 

“Oh god, oh my god. Severus,” Harry gasped, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he looked down at Snape. He threw his head back and it hit the wall behind him with a dull thunk. His hands hovered in mid-air, Harry clearly not knowing where he should put them. Snape let go of his cock for a moment to grab Harry’s wrists and direct them to his head. Harry’s fingers immediately ran through his hair and came to rest cradling the back of his head. 

The sound of Harry’s whimper spurred Snape into action and he gripped Harry’s hips tightly in his hands. Snape flattened his tongue and licked the underside of the head several times before quickly engulfing almost all of Harry’s cock in his mouth. Harry let out a long, shuddering groan and the fingers tightened in his hair. 

“I’m not going to last,” Harry moaned out. “Uh Sev, please, I’m going to…”

Harry’s hands moved to his shoulders and he could feel Harry trying to push him away as he felt the first pulse of Harry’s orgasm in his mouth. Snape gripped Harry’s hips harder and looked up at him fiercely, trying to communicate to him that he wanted Harry to come in his mouth, that he needed as much of Harry as he was willing to give. Snape sucked harder and Harry’s orgasm went on and on, Harry groaning out his name again and again. Harry’s hands moved to tenderly frame Snape’s face and he let himself surrender to the look of hunger and need and love in Harry’s eyes. 

After a few more moments, Snape allowed Harry to push him away as he swallowed the last of Harry’s come. Harry’s hands gripped his shirt and hauled him to his feet and kissed him passionately, groaning when their tongues met. Snape hoped that the taste of his own come in Snape’s mouth was as exciting to Harry as it was to him. Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Snape’s waist, pulling him in until Snape’s erection was firmly pressed into Harry’s stomach. 

Snape reached down to unbuckle his belt and Harry broke the kiss. He began to drop to his knees as he reached for the button of Snape’s trousers, but Snape caught him by the upper arms and pulled him back to his feet, shaking his head resolutely. He would not let Harry suck him off on his knees in a dirty alley. 

“What are you doing?” Harry asked indignantly. “I want to make you feel good too!” 

“No, not like that,” Snape said. “Not here. ”

“You did it to me!” 

“Please, Harry, not here,” Snape pleaded, reaching for Harry’s hand. “I’m too close anyway.” Harry dropped his argument to wrap his hand around Snape and together they jerked him off until he came over both their hands. 

Snape braced one hand on the wall behind Harry’s head and worked on catching his breath. Harry flicked his wand out again and cleaned them both up and then very gently put Snape’s softening cock back in his pants and zipped and buckled him back up. Snape watched as Harry put himself back together slightly less gently. 

Harry looked up at him, his cheeks still tinged red, and Snape leaned down to give him a soft kiss. Harry pulled away after a moment and cleared his throat a little. There was a devilish glint in his eye and Snape didn’t have to wait long to hear exactly what Harry was thinking. 

“So, is this what I’m going to get every time that I tell you I love you?” he teasingly asked. 

Snape gave him a long look, before begrudgingly answering. 

“Probably.”

==/==/==

While one part of Snape’s mind was focused on coming up with an idea for how to fundraise enough money for the next school year, he found himself consumed by Harry’s revelations after the visit to the house-elf’s grave. The love had, on further consideration, perhaps not been as unexpected as it first seemed. Looking back, he could see how the events in the Forest, the summer and this school year had led Harry to this conclusion. The fact, however, that this path _had not_ begun in the Forest as he had assumed and that it actually dated back to Harry’s time with his old Potions book was surprising.

He had asked Harry, out of curiosity, where the book was now and Harry had revealed how he had hidden it in the Come-and-Go room and how it had been subsequently destroyed in the Fiendfyre set by Vincent Crabbe. Snape had purposefully not asked many questions about how the fallen students had died in the Battle and he had winced a little at Crabbe’s stupidity for attempting to perform a spell that he was not strong enough to control. 

His copy of Advanced Potion Making had been a useful teaching supplement in his N.E.W.T. classes. With the younger classes, he was careful to emphasize _always_ following the instructions precisely, but when the less capable students were weeded out by their O.W.L. score, he felt he could introduce a little bit of experimentation. He knew his rigorous requirements for his N.E.W.T. classes had only contributed to his reputation as overly strict and unfair, but Potions was inherently dangerous. A concept that some students, such as Luna Lovegood, understood without needing to be told, while others were seemed simply unwilling or unable to heed his warnings. 

He had been sad to learn of the demise of his old book and thinking about Harry’s rather flattering attachment to it made him nostalgic for his other old school books. Snape knew that he was a packrat, but he prided himself on being a very organized one. One evening, he pulled down his old schoolbooks. He had not looked in them years and he was not surprised to see that the only other textbook that he had written in as much was his Defense book. It made him wonder if this was another way that he could _show_ Harry his own feelings. 

A few days after the students returned from Easter break, he took his old Defense book down and wrote a quick inscription before breakfast. He strode quickly to the Owlery and glared at David, clicking his tongue until the bird deigned to come down from his perch. 

Snape began to tie the parcel to his leg, but the owl snapped at his wrist. Snape drew back a little and pushed down the urge to hex the bird. He kept it under control though, because he was sure that killing Harry’s owl was _not_ a good way to show his feelings. 

“This,” Snape said coldly, shaking the parcel in front of the owl’s face, “is a present for your master. I require that you deliver it.” The owl turned his head almost all the way around to face away from Snape and his wand hand twitched again. “Very well, I will have another owl deliver this to Harry…”

The bird ruffled his feathers indignantly and stuck out his leg for Snape to tie the book on. He liked to imagine that the owl would not quite meet his eye. He huffed a little, feeling ridiculous to be happy to have bested an owl. 

“Deliver it at the regular time,” he said and the owl puffed his chest out, as if to say he knew exactly what to do, thank you very much, and didn’t need to be told. 

As Snape made his way to breakfast, he reflected on the fact that seemingly every pathetic and lonely creature that Harry encountered seemed to form an unreasonably strong attachment to him. He actually stopped in his path and grimaced when he realized that he could easily be included in that category.

==/==/==

Snape tried valiantly not to look at Harry as his owl delivered his present but as soon as he heard the first flutter of wings approaching, he turned a little to get a good view of Harry’s face. He was sure that Harry would be pleased and he wanted to see the exact moment when he realized what he held in his hands.

As David landed proudly in front of him and stuck out his leg, Harry greeted his owl with a quick pet and a warm smile. He could see the owl preen a little and, oh yes, it took very little for one to fall in love with Harry Potter. 

Snape could see Granger lean over to see what it was and Harry shrugged at her questioning. He was gratified but unsurprised to see that Harry performed several spells on the package before deciding that it was safe to open. 

He could see the confusion in Harry’s face as he read the cover of the clearly dated textbook and Harry leaned over to show Granger the admittedly absurd cover illustration. They laughed together for a moment and Harry opened the cover. Instantly, it looked as if Harry had been hit with _Petrificus Totalis_ and Snape knew his eye must have immediately seen the words that he used to claim all his books: “This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince.” 

Granger took a moment to realize that Harry had become frozen and when she did, she quickly peered over Harry’s shoulder to look at the book. Her eyes snapped up to Snape with a questioning look and Snape only offered a hint of an eyebrow raise in response. That seemed to be enough, because she excitedly smiled at Harry, shaking his shoulder a little. 

That seemed to break Harry’s stupor and Snape could see his hand come up to trace the words before glancing up at the Head Table. His astonished gaze didn’t linger long as Granger tapped a little ways below where Harry’s hand still rested on the title page. 

He could see Harry quickly read the inscription he had written that morning and Harry gave Snape his satisfied-with-the-world stare and Snape wondered how he had ever interpreted that look as arrogant. Granger shook Harry again and he turned to her smiling widely. Snape could see her ask what the inscription said and Harry blushed and shook his head no. Granger put her sternest face on and jabbed at it, clearly telling him to read. 

Harry bit back a smile and Snape could see his mouth forming the words that Snape had agonized over. 

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope that you will find this version of the Prince as intriguing as you found the last._

_Love,  
Your Prince_

Granger put her hand over her heart, apparently thinking the inscription was sweet and Snape was happy to see that Harry seemed to agree. Harry turned to the first page and began to read, his breakfast and Granger forgotten. Snape saw Granger give Harry the same fond look that she had given him on New Year’s. She caught Snape’s eyes one last time and gave him the same approving nod from that night as well. 

Her gaze was diverted back to Harry when he laughed out loud and she rolled her eyes a little before returning to primly eating her carefully cut up sausage.

==/==/==

A week later, Snape was still struggling to come up with an idea for how to fundraise enough money for the next school year. He was debating whether to turn to the rest of the staff for help, but his pride was getting in his way. It galled him that he had been doing so well with his time as Headmaster but had gotten completely stuck on this point. He decided that he would have to swallow his pride and petition the staff for ideas. Luckily there was a staff meeting that very evening, directly after his meeting with Granger and Harry.

The pair entered just after he had made up his mind. He tried to focus on the task at hand and luckily Granger kept their report short. 

“Thank you, Granger,” he said and he noticed the two exchange a loaded look. “Was there anything else that you needed?” 

Granger gave a terse nod to Harry and he spoke up then. “Sir, we’ve been getting requests…people asking that we come as guests of honor to celebrations of the first anniversary of the Battle.” 

Harry trailed off and Snape could tell that he was embarrassed by these invitations, but he hoped that Harry knew that it would be rude not to attend at least one of these ceremonies. 

“I will write you both notes to attend whatever you wish,” Snape said, pulling out two pieces of parchments. 

“It’s only…we thought that maybe, instead of _us_ going to these celebrations, we should have the celebration come to us. To Hogwarts,” Harry explained, but Snape was mystified as to what he could mean. 

Granger could apparently see his confusion. “Sir, all these dinners and balls and celebrations are _selling_ tickets and they want the two of us and Ron to be there because that will sell more tickets,” she said, pausing to look at Harry for a moment. “Harry mentioned that you need to organize a fundraiser for the school and this might be the perfect solution.” 

Snape looked down at the blank sheets of parchment, trying to work through their proposal in his mind. “It seems like this might be an ideal solution to my problem, but I worry that there is not enough time to organize such an event.”

“We’ll help you organize, sir!” Granger said excitedly. She pulled out a notebook from her bag and opened it. Snape could not read what was written but he saw several pages of closely written notes that she began to pore over. 

Harry had remained quiet throughout Granger’s explanation and Snape found he could not read his face. “What do you think, Potter? Is there enough time between now and May 2nd?” 

A brief smile flashed on Harry’s face. “I think so. Between this time and May 2nd last year, we developed an entire plan to break into one of the oldest and most guarded vaults in Gringotts, so I think planning a dinner is doable.” 

“Yes, but last year you were not Head Boy and Girl and you were not studying for your N.E.W.T.s,” Snape commented.

“I was studying some!” Granger piped up indignantly before looking apologetic. “But…I understand that that was not really your point,” she said in a voice barely over a mumble. 

“I was going to finish by saying that I think it’s a good idea and I would be grateful for your help. Will you both come to my staff meeting tonight to start with the planning?” 

They both nodded their agreement and Snape felt a weight lift from his shoulders. This could really work and it was much better than any of the ideas that Snape had thought of over the last several weeks. They all stood and as Snape was trying to think of a pretense to speak with Harry alone, Granger came to the rescue. She shoved her notebook into Harry’s hand and quickly gathered her stuff and made to leave the room. 

“I’ve got to meet with my study session leaders if I’m going to go to the staff meeting. Harry…you should get the Headmaster up to speed on what we’ve discussed so far,” she said, giving Harry a completely unsubtle wink as she closed the door behind her. 

They gave each other a long look and Harry looked a little shy. He licked his lips, an action that made Snape sit up a little straighter. 

“Do you really think the dinner is a good idea?” Harry asked. 

“I wouldn’t have said so if I didn’t think it,” Snape said and Harry looked relieved. He was beginning to see how much Harry seemed to rely on his good opinion and it made Snape happy that he was held in such high regard by Harry. “I do wonder though…” 

“What?” Harry asked, looking curious. 

“You realize that you are putting yourself out there as the main draw for the celebration…”

“Ron and Hermione will be there…and you. It’s not just me,” Harry said, shaking his head and looking down to pick at his robes. 

Snape wondered if Harry was really this dense. “Harry,” he said and waited until Harry had looked up before continuing gently, “you know that you are who people will be coming to see.” 

Harry shrugged. “I guess.” 

“I just wonder why you seem so willing to do it. This seems like exactly the kind of event that you would have shied away from in the past.” Snape had to make sure that Harry did not feel pressured into doing this for him. “There are other fundraising ideas…”

“I thought you said you liked it!” Harry said indignantly.

“I do. I know it can raise us a lot of money, but I do not want you to resent the attention later and regret agreeing to it.” 

“I won’t regret it! And I’m not _agreeing_ to anything…it was my bloody idea!” Harry said and Snape winced a little at Harry’s anger. Harry noticed immediately and calmed down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout. It’s just…you’re always telling me to use my fame for something good, for something I want to use it for, and now I’m trying to do that for you _and_ Hogwarts and you’re discouraging me.” 

“I didn’t mean to be discouraging. I apologize. You’re right. This was your idea and I should not have tried to argue you out of it.” 

“Wow…” Harry said, looking a little stunned. “An apology and saying that I was right? Back to back? I might never recover.” He dramatically put his hand over his heart. 

“Hush up, brat, or it won’t happen again,” Snape teased and Harry smiled broadly at him. 

“I do have one request though…” Harry said, trailing off and blushing a little. Snape could not help but be completely charmed by it and he nodded to encourage Harry to continue. “I want one dance with you that night.” 

“I think that can be arranged,” Snape said evenly. 

“Oh good,” Harry said, looking relieved. 

Snape tilted his head slightly. “Did you think I would refuse?” 

“I honestly wasn’t sure. I know we’re trying to be discreet this year and we don’t have too much longer to go.” 

“I actually think it might be a good idea for people to start seeing us being a little friendlier to each other. There might be less talk that way.” 

Harry furrowed his brow. “Talk? I don’t understand…”

Snape shifted a little, feeling slightly uncomfortable, but he knew they needed to be on the same page. “I do not want to be your secret, Harry. I do not wish to place an announcement in the Prophet, but I also do not intend on sneaking around. Therefore, it might be better for us if people saw us together in a positive light. I thought perhaps the anniversary celebration would be a good place to start.” 

“I don’t want us to be a secret either. I’m fairly desperate to tell everyone as it is. Once I’m not a student, I’ll be shouting it from the rooftop!” Harry assured him. “I just hadn’t thought of that aspect, but I think you’re right. That’s very clever…”

“Well, I do have my moments,” Snape said. “So, yes, I think a dance should be fine.” 

“Good,” Harry said, looking happy. He snapped Granger’s notebook shut and stood up to gather his things. 

“I take it we are through discussing plans,” Snape said. 

“I’m afraid so. I have Quidditch practice in a bit. Zabini will kill me if I’m late. I’m sure you know that we’re playing Ginny’s for the last game of the year and he is determined to clobber her.” 

“Is that so? I assume your attempt at matchmaking did not work out.” 

“Oh god,” Harry groaned. “Crashed and burned spectacularly. I will never agree to help someone out like that again. _Everyone_ was mad at me for a while.” 

“I hadn’t realized,” Snape said, feeling stricken that Harry had fought with his friends and he knew that Harry could see it in his face. 

“It wasn’t bad. Ron doesn’t like anyone messing about with his sister and Hermione told me off a bit. Ginny stopped talking to me for a while, which was actually not a terrible thing. I think she’s finally really over me, you know? But everything’s good now. Don’t worry about it.” 

“I know your friendships are important to you…” 

“They are…and none of them were permanently harmed,” Harry said reassuringly, giving Snape a warm smile. Snape stood and walked Harry to the door. “I did want to say, now that we have a private moment, that I really appreciate that you gave me another Half-Blood Prince book. I really love it and I love that I know that it’s you this time around. So…thank you.” 

“You’re welcome Harry,” Snape said, smiling down at Harry, who was very distractingly looking at his mouth instead of his eyes. “I do have a question though.” 

Harry looked up curiously at him and Snape let his smile turn suggestive, which again drew Harry’s eyes to his lips. “I was curious whether you slept with this edition like you did the last.” 

Harry looked a little surprised. “Of course I do. I’ve wanted to be sleeping next to you all year and this is the next best thing until I can get the real thing.” 

“Soon Harry. Very soon.” He reached up to push Harry’s hair off his forehead before cradling his cheek in his hand. Harry nuzzled a little into his palm and pressed a kiss to it before hastily opening the door and hurrying out. Snape leaned back against the door, trying to rein in his libido but he could not help the satisfied smile that crossed his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Weeks of planning flew by and while Snape saw more of Harry than he had earlier in the year, they were always surrounded by people. The only private moment they had been able to share had been directly after the last Quidditch game of the year, in which Harry’s team beat the team captained by Ginny Weasley thoroughly, with Harry spectacularly catching the Snitch after only thirty minutes of playing time. Harry had cornered him under the stands after he made sure all the students had returned to the castle. He had found himself pushed up against a wooden support beam, with an armful of sweaty Harry Potter kissing him enthusiastically. Before he could even think to give back as good as he got, Harry had pulled away and pushed the Snitch into his hand. 

“This was for you,” Harry had said, looking at Snape like he was a piece of treacle tart. “Keep it with my first, yeah?” 

And with that, Harry had run off toward the locker room, leaving Snape both amused and aroused. As he had later put the last Snitch of Harry’s Hogwarts Quidditch career next to his first, he thought to himself that he would have to make sure that Harry kept his Quidditch kit…for later exploration. 

Other than that pleasant interlude, it had been constant planning. This time, Harry had allowed both himself and Granger to look over his speech for him. All three of them had tweaked it until it was the right mix of a remembrance for those who had fallen at the Battle, a recounting of how Hogwarts had been rebuilt and changed over the subsequent year, gratitude for those who had bought tickets to the event and a few select tidbits of how Harry had defeated the Dark Lord that had not been revealed yet to make the attendees (hopefully) agree to donate even more Galleons. 

The night of May 2nd, Snape met the trio of heroes in the Entrance Hall an hour before the guests were set to arrive. Luckily, when the Ministry had heard that Hogwarts was planning its own commemoration event and that the so-called Golden Trio would be attending only that one, they had canceled their plans for an event. Between the draw of the three heroes and Ministry backing, the Hogwarts event had quickly sold out. The school governors had been extremely pleased by the money raised so far, but Snape was hoping that a few of the wealthier patrons would agree to donate even more by the end of the night. 

The same Ministry official who had coordinated the Order of Merlin ceremony was there and she again whipped them into shape. Snape mused to himself that he hoped the Ministry paid her well. 

The dinner went off without a hitch and Harry made his speech with a degree of confidence that made Snape feel oddly proud. He found that he wished that the world already knew about him and Harry and he was glad that he had taken the opportunity to speak to Harry about it and that he was as eager to tell the world about them as he was. It made watching every witch and wizard attending the ball flock to Harry and take all his attention for the night slightly easier. Snape had his own mingling and dancing to do so he began to steadily work through his mental list of donors to speak with tonight.

==/==/==

Harry mingled easily with the guests, all of whom seemed to be there only to get their chance to interact with the Savior of the Wizarding World. Harry dealt with them all with as much grace as he could muster, but there were several times that either Snape or Granger would step in to redirect Harry away from particularly insistent guests.

Late in the evening, as Snape could tell they were all beginning to get tired, Luna Lovegood approached him. 

“Headmaster, could you help me gather up Harry, Ron and Hermione? It’s almost time for the pictures…” she said, trailing off. “Oh! There’s Ron and Hermione! Could you fetch Harry for me, please?” 

Lovegood wandered away in the direction of Granger and Weasley and Snape used his height to peer over the crowd to find Harry. He easily spotted him in the middle of a throng of people, his smile a little strained and his hand being shaken enthusiastically by an older witch. 

Snape strode across the dance floor and stepped close to Harry, who looked up at him with relief clear on his face. As he was about to let Harry know that he was required for pictures, an idea struck him. 

“Potter,” he whispered into Harry’s ear as the small crowd around them looked on, “I believe I have my end of the bargain to uphold…”

Harry looked positively gleeful as Snape took his hand and led him onto the dance floor. At first, they danced together in an emptier part of the floor, his arm loosely around Harry’s waist, a very respectable distance between them. Harry yawned a little, clearly having socialized to the point of exhaustion. Snape steered them closer to where Lovegood was waiting, which purely incidentally was where the dance floor became more crowded. 

Harry sighed happily as Snape pulled him in closer, not quite touching, but their robes brushed against each other as they swayed. Lovegood made eye contact with him and he gave her a head nod but continued his dance with Harry. He tightened his grip on Harry’s waist as they slid between two other couples and the move brought their bodies fully together for a moment. Harry tried to pull away when they had passed the couples, but Snape kept his grip firm and shifted his hand slightly down, until it was just grazing the top of Harry’s arse. 

The proximity of Harry’s body, coupled with the thought of allowing his hand to continue its path until Harry’s round arse filled his hand, caused him to harden faster than he had thought possible in the middle of a crowded ballroom. He shifted his hips and he could tell the exact moment that Harry felt the hardness pressed into him. 

“What are you doing?” Harry hissed under his breath. His cheeks had taken on an incredibly charming shade of brick red and Snape was glad that Harry was not looking at him because he could not hide his smirk. 

“I believe it’s called dancing Potter…as you specifically requested.” 

Harry did look up then and glared at him. “I realize that. But why are we so…close?” he asked, trying to pull away again. Snape did not let him, instead moving them even further into the crowd. 

“Should I allow you to bump into other dancers? That wouldn’t be very gallant of me…” 

Harry huffed and seemed to sense that this was not an argument that he was going to win and said no more. As they continued to dance, Snape felt Harry relax into him more and he made sure to keep his erection pressed firmly against Harry’s body. It was not long before he could feel Harry’s hard cock pressing back against him. He risked a quick peek down and Harry’s eyes were glazed over, his cheeks still red. 

“Please…can we go somewhere?” Harry said in almost inaudible whisper. 

Harry was an almost perfect picture of sexual frustration and Snape realized his plan was backfiring quickly. He was just as aroused as Harry and he thought too late about the fact that saying no to Harry was nearly impossible for him. 

He pulled slightly away, looking for the closest private place that he could push Harry up against the wall, when he saw that he was standing very close to where the others were gathered for pictures. 

“Headmaster!” called Lovegood. “You found Harry! Come on you two!” 

Snape looked down at Harry as she turned away, arranging Weasley and Granger for a few more of their pictures. 

“Pictures?” Harry croaked into Snape’s ear, looking panicked. “I…I can’t take pictures. Not like _this_.” Harry waved vaguely toward his crotch and Snape resisted the urge to laugh. 

Snape hummed a little and stepped away, twitching his more voluminous robes around him to hide his own problem. Harry’s robes were much more modern and revealed everything, quite to Snape’s delight. Harry stepped back closer to him, angling his body away from the crowd. 

“I did say you would pay for your Goblin toilet stunt at the Ministry…” 

Harry’s mouth fell open. “You! You…planned this!” Harry squeaked indignantly. “That’s just…evil.” 

Snape only smirked at him and he could see that Harry was debating whether or not to be really angry. Lovegood was finishing up with Weasley and Granger and he could see the panic and anger filling Harry’s face. He directed a very weak Glacius charm toward Harry’s erection and Harry yelped loudly. 

“I would have thought that all teenage wizards were aware of that trick,” Snape said as Harry continued to glare at him. 

“I’ve never really had need of it before, thank you,” Harry said primly, turning away finally, now that his problem had been solved. 

Snape leaned down slightly to whisper in Harry’s ear. “Well now you’re just stroking my ego. Are you trying to tell me that I’m the only one who’s ever made you that hard?” 

Harry groaned a little under his breath. “Will you stop it? It’s just going to come back if you keep doing that.” 

Lovegood called them over then and Harry put on a somewhat strained smile as they all took pictures. Harry had to take the most, all of the major donors wanting a personal picture with the Savior, though some did ask that Granger and Weasley be included as well. Very few people asked for him to be in the pictures, which suited Snape just fine. Harry seemed to calm down as he took pictures, his smile becoming more natural. Every once in a while, he would glance over at Snape, but he had to laugh when Harry would remember that he was supposed to be mad at him and scowled instead of smiled. 

As the crowd finally thinned out, Lovegood began to pack up her camera and Harry looked visibly relieved. 

“Ms. Lovegood,” Snape said, putting a hand on her arm, “I was wondering if you could take one more picture of just myself and Harry.” 

“Of course, Headmaster,” Lovegood agreed happily, pulling the camera back out of her bag. 

Harry glared at him as he walked toward him to take his place next to Harry. Snape thought Harry’s half-hearted glare was rather adorable, but he decided against sharing that thought with Harry. 

Instead, he extended an olive branch to Harry. “I will smile if you will,” he said, stepping in close to Harry’s side. 

As proof of his sincerity, he looked down at Harry, offering what he hoped was his fondest and least frightening smile. It seemed to work. A much toothier, but just as fond grin spread across Harry’s face as they gazed at each other. The urge to kiss Harry was interrupted by the sound of the shutter clicking. By the time he registered it, Lovegood was already packing her camera back away. 

“Did you already take the picture?” he called out to her. 

“Oh yes, it was beautiful,” she replied. Snape thought she was probably right but didn’t want to admit it. As he thought about a discreet way to ask for a copy, she stepped closer to them and stage whispered, “don’t worry, I’ll send you both a copy.” 

“Thanks Luna. That would be great,” Harry said gratefully and Snape nodded his agreement. 

As Lovegood twirled away, Harry turned quickly toward him, hands on his hips and a frown on his face. He looked so much like Lily in the moment that Snape kept smiling fondly at him. 

“Wipe that satisfied look off your face!” Harry said, looking like he was about to start wagging his finger at him. 

“Mmm…not quite satisfied,” Snape replied, arching an eyebrow at Harry. His façade cracked just slightly and Snape was relieved to see that Harry was not completely angry. 

“Well, yes, that’s exactly the problem, isn’t it?” Harry said, his voice still a little heated. He cleared his throat a little. “I think it’s only fair that you owe me one.” 

“Owe you one what, exactly?” Snape asked innocently, intentionally playing dumb. 

Harry scoffed a little and rolled his eyes. He glanced around to make sure no one was close to them and lowered his voice. “An orgasm, you prat.” 

He stared at Harry for long enough that Harry began to fidget a little, but he admired him for not breaking eye contact. “I agree. Consider myself in your debt.” 

“That was too easy, but I’m tired, so I’ll take it for now,” Harry replied. “I’m off to bed now. Good night.” 

As Harry walked by, he squeezed Snape’s hand and Snape knew that all was forgiven. Now to find out how much money they had raised…and how best to give Harry that orgasm that he owed him.

==/==/==

Snape was relieved to know that they had raised enough money to satisfy the school governors and to begin some much needed improvement projects around the school. He felt that he could be truly relaxed for the first time all year. Now he just needed to get everyone, students and faculty, through the exam period and then he would be free…at least until he needed to begin making plans for the next school year.

Snape was aware that just as his stress level decreased sharply, Harry’s ticked up markedly. It seemed with the end of the Quidditch season and the anniversary celebration out of the way, the time to get serious about N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s was upon him. The only time he saw Harry was at meal times, always eating hastily, with a book propped up in front of him. Madame Pince had asked if she could keep the library open for an extra hour for the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students and he had agreed, though she reported back that she still had to kick out a large group at the end of every night, the Head Girl and Boy chief among them. 

Snape knew that this was the most stressful time for the seventh year students and there was little he could do for Harry. He knew that Harry just had to keep his head down and slog his way through, but he wished he could more. 

The night before the first day of testing, he sent a house elf to deliver a package of Dreamless Sleep to Harry with a note telling him not to abuse it, but to use it if he couldn’t fall asleep. The next morning Harry looked well rested as he came in for breakfast and he nodded his thanks to Snape at the head table, a gesture that Snape returned. Harry looked calm as he left for his first exam and Snape fervently hoped he would remain that way through the next two weeks. 

The two weeks passed quickly, at least for Snape, and when the last Friday of the exam period was drawing to an end, he contemplated how to get Harry alone to hear how he thought he had done and to make sure he felt alright about everything. 

He did not have to wait long nor did he have to come up with a clever plan to get Harry alone. Scarcely ten minutes after he knew the last of the N.E.W.T. testing was finished, someone knocked on his door. He told them to enter and saw that it was both Harry and Granger at his door. He immediately noticed that Harry was no longer wearing his school robes and he seemed to be clutching something behind his back. Granger was still in her robes and her hair was even frizzier than normal and he could clearly picture her running her hands through her hair again and again during the written exam. As they got closer, he could see a large ink stain on her cheek. He wasn’t sure how it possibly could have gotten there and he thought to himself that only Granger could make a written Charms exam into a contact sport. 

For as tired and disheveled as Granger looked, Harry seemed to be thrumming with energy, a small smile pulling at his lips that he kept trying to hide. 

Snape raised an eyebrow in inquiry as they approached. 

“Headmaster, I wanted to give this back to you,” Harry said, bouncing a little on his toes as he pulled the Head Boy badge from behind his back and placed it on his desk. 

“There are still two weeks of school left, Potter,” Snape said, feeling slightly confused but it was obvious that Harry had a plan and he was eager to see how it played out. 

“Yes, sir,” Harry said with mock solemnity, “but unfortunately, I am choosing at this time to unenroll in Hogwarts.” He paused, looking at Snape with an intense look, willing him to understand what he was saying. “So…seeing as how I am no longer a student, I can’t be Head Boy. I thought I would bring the Head Girl with me as a witness.” 

Snape’s lip involuntarily twitched into a smile and he wiped a hand over his face to hide it and when he looked up again Harry was grinning gleefully and Granger was rolling her eyes so hard it looked like it hurt. 

“I see. You put me in a difficult position, Potter,” Snape said, taking a moment to look contemplative. “Of course, as a person who is no longer a student, I will have to ask that you move out of the dorms immediately.” 

Harry let his eyes go wide. “Oh no…I guess that means I have no place to stay…” 

Before Snape could deliver his next line in this little play they were performing, Granger groaned loudly and let her head fall back, the very picture of annoyed frustration. “If you two are quite done, I have better things to do with my evening after exams than watch you two flirt.” She spun around toward the door but paused halfway. “I would like to say that I fully support both of you and wish you many happy returns. Harry…keep the Headmaster busy for a couple of hours. I’m planning on getting completely smashed on confiscated Firewhiskey. Good night!” she yelled as she slammed the door behind her. 

Snape thought for a moment that Harry might launch himself straight over the desk and into his lap – a plan that he was not altogether averse to – but he was worried about the portraits. Harry clearly had the same thought as he glanced around at the various former Headmasters and Headmistresses. His eyes lingered on Dumbledore’s portrait and he turned on his heel to move around the desk. He rushed past him and ascended the stairs to his private quarters, yelling “Chudley Cannons!” as he turned the handle to let himself in. 

Snape was hot on his heels as they made it through the door. He had just slammed the door as Harry barreled into his chest and pushed him up against the door. Harry swiftly pulled him down into a passionate kiss and he immediately grabbed Harry’s arse and pulled him up against his body. He groaned as Harry’s tongue delved into his mouth, loving how Harry was taking control of the kiss. 

Harry looped his arms around Snape’s neck and kissed his way to his ear. “I love you,” Harry whispered, before sucking on the spot right below his ear, causing Snape’s knees to buckle a little as he groaned his appreciation. Harry hummed in satisfaction. “I think I found one of your spots,” he murmured before returning his lips to Snape’s neck. 

Snape shook his head a little. “You know, when you said you would be here as soon as you were done with your exams, I didn’t think you would be quite this literal.” 

Harry laughed a little into his neck before he pulled away a little to look at him. “Yeah, well, I didn’t think I’d be this literal either, but I couldn’t wait. The only way I’ve gotten through the last two weeks is your Dreamless Sleep potion – which, thank you, by the way – and the thought that as soon as I was done, I could come here, return the favor on the blow job you gave me, get the orgasm you owe me and then sleep for at least the next eighteen hours in your bed. Any objections?” 

Snape pretended to contemplate the question. “Well…far be it for me to get in the way of such a well thought out plan,” he replied and Harry grinned happily and reached for Snape again, pulling him into another kiss. 

Harry pulled away after a moment and pulled off his jumper, knocking his glasses a little crooked. Snape reached up and gently took them off for Harry, carefully folding them and placing them on the small table he kept next to the door. 

Harry quickly undid the latches for his wrist holsters and slid them both off. He held them both in his hands for a second, wands still secured in them, looking unsure about what to do with them. Snape took them from Harry and set them next to the glasses. 

“Thank you,” Harry said softly, his eyes a little unfocused, but so brightly green without his glasses in the way. He plucked at the hem of t-shirt, starting to look a little nervous. 

“We don’t have to do anything, Harry,” Snape said. He would never pressure Harry but was relieved when Harry shook his head, his jaw jutting out a little stubbornly as he quickly yanked the shirt over his head. 

Snape took a long second to gaze at the perfection that was Harry’s naked chest. One part of his mind quickly catalogued the scars he saw, deciding that he would get each of their stories out of Harry later and instead admired the way that the black hair curled around his nipples and over his pecs and down his stomach in a line that led directly to the button at the top of this jeans. He was more filled out than he had imagined he would be and Snape decided he would continue to encourage Harry’s passion for Quidditch. Harry licked his lips in a way that Snape knew was less a measured attempt at seduction and more a sign of nerves. “I want to do everything, Severus. I just…I want to be enough for you.” 

Snape could not help the laugh that bubbled out of him at Harry’s ridiculous words. Harry moved the shirt still bunched in his hands to cover his chest again, looking hurt by the laughter. Snape inwardly kicked himself. He knew better than anyone not to laugh at other’s insecurities. 

He stepped forward and gripped the shirt that Harry was clutching. “Look at me,” Snape said softly and Harry turned his face up to look him in the eye. “You are more than enough for me.” He pulled the shirt away and let it drop to the floor. He stooped a little to put his arms around Harry’s waist and straightened up to press Harry’s chest fully against him as he kissed him. Harry hungrily kissed back, winding his arms around him and pressing even closer. 

Snape was overwhelmed by how much of Harry’s skin there was to touch. He kept one arm locked around him, holding him up, while the other roamed over as much of Harry’s body as he could reach. He walked Harry backward to the couch and lowered him to lay across it. 

“Ah!” Harry exclaimed, twisting his body. Snape pulled away immediately, looking for what had injured Harry. “No, sorry, it’s okay. The leather is very cold,” he said sheepishly. 

Snape rolled his eyes a little as Harry grinned and sat up. He pulled Snape down to sit next to him and kissed him again. After a few moments, he stood and toed off his shoes and socks. He put his hand on the button of his jeans but hesitated. 

“I think you should undress too,” Harry said. 

Snape was immediately uncomfortable. His body was nowhere near as perfect as Harry’s and he felt stupidly shy. He hated himself for it and his mind raced, trying to find away around getting undressed without exposing his painful insecurities. 

Harry looked at him for a long moment before nodding once. “Fine, but you at least have to get out of your Headmaster robes,” he said matter-of-factly as he popped open the button and pulled down his zipper. 

He knew Harry could probably not see it without his glasses but he was sure that he looked relieved and grateful. Harry was truly too kind of a soul to be with a man like him, but he had already decided that he would accept Harry’s desire to be with him at face value. He clumsily pulled off his robes, shifting slightly to pull them out and he threw them somewhere to his left. He had no idea where they landed, seeing as all his attention was focused on watching Harry’s cock as he pulled down his jeans and pants in one fluid motion. 

Harry wasn’t as hard as Snape would have liked and he was sure the nerves of being naked in front of him for the first time was contributing. Snape grabbed one of Harry’s hands and pulled him forward, encouraging him to straddle his lap. Having Harry Potter perched naked on his lap was by far the most erotic sight that he had ever seen and he pulled Harry forward by the hips until he was pressed firmly against his erection, hoping to show Harry just how pleased he was with his body. 

“Kiss me,” he commanded as he pressed his hips up to grind against Harry’s arse. 

Harry made a half-whimper, half-moan sound as he fell forward to kiss him and it made Snape want to tie him to his bed for the rest of his life and have him make that same noise again and again. Harry’s hands wound into his hair as he pushed his tongue into Snape’s mouth. Just as he hoped, the act of kissing seemed to distract Harry from his nerves. Their position allowed Snape’s hands to move over almost all of Harry’s body as they kissed and Snape took full advantage of the opportunity. He touched Harry almost everywhere, from rubbing his fingers over the soft skin on the inside of his ankles to gently tugging on his earlobes. He wanted to know it all. 

When he did finally reach for Harry’s cock, it was fully hard and Harry made a strangled noise as his hand wrapped fully around it. Harry pulled away and looked down as Snape very gently squeezed. He liked the way that Harry’s mouth fell open and he could sense that Harry was close so he decided against stroking it as he wanted. Instead he paused, waiting to see if the plan that Harry had articulated would come to pass. 

Harry shook his head a little and smiled at Snape. He slid back until he could stand up before falling to his knees between his legs. Snape’s head fell back on the couch and he looked at the ceiling. He had only just decided that Harry Potter naked on his lap was the most erotic sight in the world and Harry Potter naked and on his knees for him had quickly surpassed it. And if Harry was true to his word, the view would only get better. 

He felt his trousers being tugged and risked a glance down to watch as Harry pulled his cock out. He had to look away again as Harry scooted a little closer, forcing him to widen his legs. Harry glanced up at him and saw that he was being watched. Harry smiled sweetly at him and he let his head fall back again, this time putting one hand over his eyes. 

“You know…I would very much like to see you naked, but I have to admit, you being dressed and me being naked while I suck your cock is pretty hot,” Harry said conversationally. He did not wait for a response, which was good because none was coming, instead sucking the tip of his cock into his mouth and pushing his tongue against the underside of the head. 

He felt himself take an absurdly loud shuddering breathe as Harry sank farther and farther down. God, Harry was good at this, he thought as Harry sucked him deeper into the wet heat of Harry’s perfect mouth. He risked a glance down but seeing Harry’s mess of dark hair buried in his lap and the smooth line of Harry’s back gracefully curved as he bobbed up and down on his cock caused his hips to twitch almost violently. Unfortunately, this caused Harry to pull off of him, a look of concern on his face. 

“Is this okay?” Harry asked anxiously. 

“What?” he asked stupidly, pushing his hips up a little and he was gratified to see his cock graze Harry’s swollen lips. 

Harry grabbed his cock and kissed the head almost absently before asking again, “is this okay? Does it feel good?” Harry’s hand stroked him lightly and Snape watched as each upward stroke brought his cock closer to Harry’s mouth and he thought that Harry must be trying to kill him. 

“Yes! Please…keep going,” Snape said, trying not to be rude, but feeling desperate. 

Harry smiled and licked him from root to tip once and Snape thought for sure he would suck him back into his mouth, but he pulled back again. “I thought I should tell you…I want you to come in my mouth. Just give me a little warning first.” 

With that, Harry did take him back in his mouth, sucking all the way down. Harry paused momentarily and moved his hands to brace himself on the couch. Harry took a deep breath through his nose and Snape could feel his throat relax and he took even more of him in. The quick glance down that he risked was a mistake. He felt the first rush of his impending orgasm seeing the lines of the muscles in Harry’s arms and shoulders straining to hold himself in the perfect position over his cock. Combined with the feeling of Harry’s tight mouth all around him and the permission he had received to come in that mouth overwhelmed him and he groaned loudly. His hips jerked again and this time, instead of pulling off, Harry only sucked harder. 

“Harry! Uh...Harry! I’m coming!” Snape cried, only seconds before he was spilling himself in Harry’s mouth. 

Harry pulled off a little, clearly surprised by the short notice but blessedly not pulling away completely. Snape’s vision grayed a little around the edges as he had the best orgasm of his life. Harry made an adorable little hum around his cock as he slid off and licked his lips. He looked like the cat who caught the canary as he smiled happily at Snape. 

Snape only gave himself a few seconds to recover from coming and then he was pulling Harry back onto his lap. 

“I believe I owe you an orgasm,” Snape muttered as wrapped one hand around Harry’s hard cock. He loved the way that Harry put his hands on Snape’s shoulders, allowing Snape free access to whatever he wanted to touch. 

“Yes, please,” Harry whimpered as his hips began to move in counterpoint to Snape’s hand moving over his cock. Harry’s fingers dug almost painfully into his shoulders and he brought his face close to Snape’s. He thought that Harry would kiss him but instead he brought their foreheads together and looked down at Snape’s hand moving over his cock. Harry’s knees squeezed his hips and a moment later Harry was coming all over his hand with a long sigh. Snape was a little confused by the quietness of Harry’s orgasm. 

He wasn’t left in the dark for long. Harry’s eyes fluttered slightly and his forehead slipped off of Snape’s and onto his shoulder. Apparently, the long sleep that Harry had anticipated was going to happen _immediately_ after the orgasm. Harry was dead weight on top of him and Snape’s arm was twisted awkwardly as Snape was left holding a handful of Harry’s softening cock and quickly cooling come as Harry snored quietly into his neck. 

Snape knew that he should let Harry sleep, but he had office hours shortly and he knew he could not miss them on the day exams ended. He had already planned to be prepared to assuage the anxieties of the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students and he would not let them down. 

He slowly extricated his hand and performed a wandless cleaning charm that only halfway worked, though it was better than nothing. Without his arm in the way, Harry slumped completely onto him, snuggling even further into his chest. He should have known Harry would be a cuddler, he thought to himself with an eye roll. He had half a mind to drop Harry back down onto the cold leather of his couch, but decided that would only be funny for a moment and he would most likely never hear the end of it. 

Instead, he gently shook Harry’s shoulder until he groggily sat up. 

“What Severus?” Harry whined and it was not adorable at all. 

“I need to move you to my bed.” 

Harry groaned. “But you’re so comfortable.” 

“Yes, but I have office hours soon and I need to get cleaned up. I promise, my bed is also very comfortable,” Snape said. Harry did not respond and it was clear from his breathing that he had fallen back asleep. Snape huffed a little and shook him awake again. “I will carry you, if you want.” 

Harry sat up a little and nodded in a tiredly eager sort of way. 

“You’ll need to let me stand up first,” Snape said and Harry slid off his lap and stood on wobbly legs as Snape stood and refastened his trousers. 

He hooked his arm under Harry’s legs and Harry quickly put his arms around his neck and allowed himself to be carried into the bedroom. Snape laid him on the bed and had to awkwardly fight to get the blankets from under him, but he finally was able to tuck Harry into his bed. He stepped back for a moment and remembered that Harry’s glasses and wands were still in the other room. He returned to the sitting room and gathered them quickly. He returned to the room, thinking back with fondness to their brief time in the Hospital Wing. He released the wands from their holsters and slid them both under Harry’s pillow and placed his glasses on the edge of the nightstand. 

Harry sighed a little and stretched into a more comfortable position as Snape stood watching him for several long minutes. He really did need to get both mentally and physically ready for his office hours and the only way that that he finally tore himself away was with the knowledge that Harry would still be here when he returned. 

And that this time, he would stay forever.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Ten years and two months later…** _

Harry waited impatiently in their private rooms, sipping his drink and looking around at the half full boxes still left to be unpacked. They had only been gone for two months. Why did they always feel like they had to pack every possession that they had to go to their cottage for two months? Harry would never know, but he also knew that it would never change. Severus liked to be prepared and you just never knew when you would need the third edition of the _Whats-it Treatise on Potions Nonsense_ in between swims in the lake and lazy dinners on the porch. 

Harry knew that Severus, like always, was worried about the coming school year. Every summer for the last ten years, Severus convinced himself that this would be his last year as Headmaster and so he would pour himself into planning and improving, working himself to the point of exhaustion. The night of the Welcoming Feast was the culmination of all this hard work, and Severus always needed a little extra care on that night. 

So here was Harry, in a dressing gown and little else, with two glasses of scotch, one neat for Severus, the other on the rocks for himself, waiting and wondering what kind of mood Severus would be in when he arrived. Harry could deal with anything that Severus threw at him, but he hoped for Sev’s sake that he would believe all went well and would be in a happy and relieved mood. 

Harry’s musing about Severus’s mood was broken by the sound of the man himself’s boots clicking on the stone floor of the office. He strained his ears and could just barely hear papers – the much worked over Welcome Speech, most likely – being thrown onto the desk and the cabinet for the Sorting Hat being opened and then closed again with what sounded like a little more force than necessary. Harry winced a little at the sound of Severus’s annoyed muttering. It seemed that Grouchy Severus was on order for tonight. 

Harry stood and took both glasses with him as he walked to the door as it opened. Despite having lived together for over ten years and being married for over nine, Severus still managed to somehow look both surprised and displeased at the sight of Harry standing inside the door with a drink waiting for him and he took it with a sneer. Oh yes, definitely Grouchy Severus. Harry knew how to handle _him_ perfectly. 

“Hi!” was his loud opening line, delivered with what he thought of as his best smile. Severus’s impassive face stared back, black eyes following his movements as Harry moved forward, taking a slow sip of his drink. Harry began to unbutton Severus’s robes, starting at the top. “Alright, first things first. What House is Ted in?”

“Hufflepuff.” 

Harry was genuinely excited for his godson. “Ah! Really? Just like his mum. Was he happy?” Harry asked, smiling and still working on the buttons as Severus stared down his nose at him. 

“The boy’s hair turned bright yellow and he tripped and skidded across the floor as he sprinted to the Hufflepuff table. Made a complete fool of himself…the Hufflepuffs were overjoyed to have him,” Severus said, rolling his eyes and taking another long sip of his drink. 

“Well, I’m glad. I think Hufflepuff will be good for him…and he will be good for Hufflepuff.” 

“That boy is trouble – an insufferable brat,” Severus snapped and Harry paused in his unbuttoning, flashing Severus an admonishing look. Severus looked slightly abashed but said nothing in the way of apology. 

“Oh…sure,” Harry said, taking a moment to sip his own drink before returning to work on the last dozen buttons of Severus’s robes. “You seem exactly the type that insists that ‘insufferable brats’ spend the entire summer with us at the cottage before they start school.” 

“Well I keep you around, don’t I?” 

“Hmm, excellent point, Headmaster,” Harry mused, looking up with a triumphant smile as the last button gave way. Severus’s face gave a slight twitch and Harry knew he was on the right track, so he moved to the buttons at Severus’s left wrist. “And you often beg these same ‘insufferable brats’ to come to tea with us on the first Saturday of school.” 

Severus handed his half empty drink back to Harry and worked on unbuttoning the buttons on his right wrist before moving to sit on the couch, shrugging the robes off as he went. “I do not beg.” 

Harry laughed again. “Give me, oh, about ten minutes or so…and we’ll see if you beg,” he said and Severus gave him a cold look. “Did Teddy look like he was making friends?” 

“I suppose…” 

Harry opened his mouth to continue asking more questions but Severus raised his hand. “It’s all in the Penseive…go look to your heart’s content…” 

Harry could hear the unspoken “and please leave me alone for a minute,” so he took his drink and went back to the office, excited that Severus shared his memory of Teddy’s Sorting with him. Teddy had been unusually quiet when Harry and Andromeda were dropping him off at the train station and he knew he was nervous about starting at Hogwarts. 

He opened the cabinet where both the Penseive and the Sorting Hat were stored and he could see the memory swirling and he dove right in, eager to see Teddy’s time under the Sorting Hat. The memory shimmered and then cleared around him and he was surprised when he saw that the scene in front of him was bathed in bright sunlight. He immediately recognized that he was looking at the dock on the lake by their cottage. He could see Severus with his legs hanging over the side, bare feet dangling in the water. In his lap was a book and Harry was mildly chagrined to see it looked exactly like the _Whats-it Treatise on Potions Nonsense_ that he had lamented packing. Teddy was swimming close by and Harry smiled at the idyllic scene but felt confused about how it related to Teddy’s Sorting. 

He spent a few moments admiring Severus’s profile as he read his book but he could hear Teddy approaching and looked to him while Severus continued to read. He could see that Teddy looked nervous about something and Harry felt anxious that he could not help him in the memory. Harry looked to Severus, feeling frustrated that he was still looking at his book instead of at Teddy. 

“Severus?” 

“Yes,” Severus said, still not looking up. 

“Can I talk to you about something?” Teddy asked, the nervousness coming through clearly in his voice. 

Severus did look up then and closed his book when he saw the look on Teddy’s face. “Of course…” 

“It’s just…I was thinking about the Sorting…and well, I’m a little nervous about it.” 

“You know all about how it’s done…you listen to that wretched Hat sing his song and then you get called up to put it on. The Sorting Hat does most of the work,” Severus explained, giving Teddy a sharp, examining look. 

“Yeah, I mean, I know all that, but are you and Harry going to be mad if I don’t get into one of your Houses? Harry’s like…the _ultimate_ Gryffindor and you used to be Head of Slytherin so you’re like the _ultimate_ Slytherin. And Grandma was a Slytherin, but Dad was a Gryffindor and all the Weasleys were Gryffindors, too,” Teddy said, his voice going higher and higher as he went on.

“Do you want to be in either of those Houses?” Severus asked and Harry could tell that he already knew the answer to his question. Harry watched as Teddy shook his head miserably. “What House would you like to be in?” 

“I was thinking I kind of wanted to be in Hufflepuff, maybe?” he said, trailing off and sounding unsure of himself. 

“Ah yes, like your mother,” Severus replied. 

“Yeah!” Teddy said, smiling his first smile of the conversation. “Like Mum. Do you think that would be okay? Do you think the Hat will listen to me if I ask?” 

“It listened to Harry when he asked to be put _anywhere_ but Slytherin,” Severus said, rolling his eyes. It was a story that had been told several times over the months leading up to Teddy’s first year and Harry smiled that Severus still pretended to be annoyed that Harry had put his request in such an offensive manner. “I think you’ll make a fine Hufflepuff, Ted, and no, no one will be mad about which House you end up in. Don’t worry about it too much, alright?” 

“Okay, I’ll try not to,” Teddy said, though Harry could tell he was still feeling nervous. Harry was glad to see though that he did look calmer. 

“Speaking of Harry, it is time to get out of the lake. He will be home any moment. Let’s go up and hear about what ridiculousness the goblins have gotten up to today,” Severus said, gathering his book and glass and standing up. 

“Ahh, come on…just a little bit longer? Please?” Teddy pleaded, his hair going black and long to match Severus, hoping it would make him sympathetic to his request. 

“Mr. Lupin…I have told you to get out of the lake,” Severus said in his best Headmaster voice. “I will not say it again.”

Teddy grumbled a little but quickly obeyed, pulling himself out of the water and onto the dock. He shook himself like a dog but could not see the unimpressed look on Severus’s face as he was sprayed with water. They began the long walk back up the dock and Harry smiled at how much they looked like they could be father and son, with Teddy’s hair still looking similar to Severus’s. Harry waited for the scene to fade, but he realized why it hadn’t yet when Severus’s face broke into an evil smile and his hand shot out, pushing Teddy right back into the lake with a big splash. The scene finally began to dissolve as Severus laughed at Teddy’s spluttering face as he emerged from the water. 

The scene reformed exactly where Harry had first expected it, in the Great Hall, staring down from the staff table. He could see all the first years huddled together, listening avidly to the Sorting Hat. Harry was amused to note that he could only hear snatches of the song, despite being only a few feet away. Severus had apparently been willfully not listening to it. As the first of the new students got Sorted, Harry could see Teddy glancing up at the head table, catching Severus’s eye. Each time, Severus would incline his head slightly and Teddy would look slightly calmer…until he would look up again for reassurance. 

“Lupin, Edward,” called Professor McGonagall and Harry could see Severus shift slightly in his chair, though he was wearing the same expression of mild interest that he had worn with all the other first years. 

The Hat settled on Teddy’s head and Harry could see his knuckles go white as he gripped the edge of the stool. After only a few moments, the Hat called “Hufflepuff!” and Teddy jumped down, turning to give the Hat back to McGonagall. He smiled widely at Severus, a look of pure relief on his face and Harry could see Severus’s shoulders fall slightly, some of the tension leaving him. 

Harry laughed, watching Teddy skid across the floor, knowing he had inherited both his Metamorphagus abilities and his clumsiness from his mother and now they were both Hufflepuffs too. Harry felt the pride that he only ever felt about Teddy; the pride that he thought must come from watching someone grow from a helpless infant to a bright, kind young man. He watched, feeling sappy, as Teddy immediately began to talk to the other new first years and he could see them shouting out suggestions and Teddy turning his hair whatever color they called out. 

Harry pulled out of the memories and wandered slowly back to their rooms, smiling a little to himself at how happy Teddy had looked. He was glad, too, that Severus had helped to comfort him. He knew that Teddy and Severus had a special relationship, the kind of relationship that Harry could have only dreamed of on that New Year’s Day so many years ago when Severus had first held Teddy, but he loved to see it in action. 

As he stepped in, he saw that Severus had settled on the couch, his bare feet now propped up on the coffee table, looking much more relaxed than he had been when he first came in. Harry went over to him and snuggled up to his side. 

“Thank you for the memories, Severus. I love you,” Harry said quietly, pecking a kiss to Severus’s cheek. Severus’s arm came around him and began to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Severus broke it. 

“You mentioned earlier that I would be begging you for something,” he began, affecting a nonchalant tone. Harry smiled into his chest, glad that Severus had picked up on his earlier statement. 

“That’s right,” Harry said, giving nothing away. 

“And what exactly would I be begging for?” Snape asked. 

“Sex, of course,” Harry said, looking up at Severus. He continued when Severus only raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “You see…while you were off doing terribly important Headmaster things…you know, giving Headmaster speeches in your sexy Headmaster voice, billowing around in your sexy Headmaster robes, glaring at all the students with your sexy Headmaster eyes…”

“Get to the point, Potter!”

“It’s Snape now, or Harry, if you prefer, thank you,” Harry stated, pretending not to notice the glare pointed at the side of his face. “But yes, where was I? Oh, while you were doing all of that, I was here, thinking about you doing all those sexy things and I got a little excited…and a little impatient and I may have spent some time getting myself ready for you tonight.” 

Harry could see Severus swallow as he processed this new information and he watched in amusement as Severus slowly raised his glass to his lips, buying himself time to formulate a response. 

“You think awfully highly of yourself. Perhaps I do not want to have sex with you tonight. Perhaps I am too tired?” 

Harry put a look of concern and shock on his face. “I would never want to pressure you into anything, Severus. I am still very turned on though, so I think I’ll just go to the bedroom and finish taking care of myself while you rest out here with your drink…” 

Harry rose and moved past Severus toward the bedroom, but he got exactly one and a half steps away from the couch before he felt his arm caught by Severus’s large hand and he was being pulled back against Severus’s body. “You will do no such thing,” Severus whispered into his ear, grinding himself into Harry’s backside and kissing his neck. 

Harry smiled and leant his head back on Severus’s shoulder, allowing him room to continue to kiss his neck. Severus placed his glass on the coffee table and slid his hands around Harry’s waist and pulling him in even tighter to his body. 

“You say that you’re ready for me? I could slip right in, if that is what I wanted?” Severus asked and Harry nodded his head vigorously, bringing one of his hands up to twine in Severus’s hair. 

“Is that what you want, Severus?” Harry said, panting as Severus ran his hands all over the slippery material of Harry’s dressing gown. He was fully aroused now and willing to do almost anything, as long as Severus just kept touching him. 

“I want you to sit on my lap,” Severus said, pulling Harry backwards until he sat back down on the couch, bringing Harry with him onto his lap, Harry’s back to his front. Harry could feel how hard Severus was against him and he spread his legs, hooking his knees around the outside of Severus’s thighs and he could feel his dressing gown open, revealing his nakedness beneath. 

Severus hummed a little into Harry’s ear and bucked his hips up into him. “I see you _are_ ready for me. Hard and leaking. Shall I push you face down onto the sofa and have my way with you?” he asked, in what Harry thought of as his most seductive voice. 

A large part of Harry’s mind was frantically saying yes, please, that was exactly what he wanted, but before he allowed himself to say so, he remembered that he was supposed to be making Severus beg, that he was _supposed_ to be making Severus feel better after a long day. 

“No, I want to ride you,” Harry said desperately, struggling to sit up and turn around in Severus’s lap. 

“Then do so,” Severus said, helping him off his lap and unbuttoning his trousers. Harry made to take his dressing gown off, but Severus held up a hand. “No…keep that on.” 

“Alright,” Harry said, smiling as he reached to pull Severus’s hard cock out of his trousers. It never failed to make Harry excited, seeing how hard Severus was for him, how perfect his cock felt in his hand, the anticipation of feeling it inside him almost overwhelming him. He felt especially wanton with himself only in a dressing gown and Severus still in his trousers and shirt, his cock pulled out and ready for him. It had taken Harry several weeks at the beginning of their relationship to convince Severus to be naked in front of him but Harry had developed quite the soft spot for Severus being clothed while he was naked. 

Harry climbed up on Severus’s lap, straddling his thighs. Severus scooted down, spreading his legs, bringing Harry even closer to him and opening his legs wider. Harry fished in the pocket of his dressing and pulled out the lube. He slicked Severus up, probably more than necessary, but enjoying the feel of his cock in his hand too much. 

Harry brought his other hand up to Severus’s face as he stroked him and brought his face closer to his. “Are you going to kiss me?” 

Severus did not answer, instead lifting his knees up a little, causing Harry to fall into him with an undignified squeaking sound. Severus kissed him roughly, his large hands gripping his arse through the dressing gown. Harry positioned Severus just at his entrance. Severus tried to thrust up, but Harry moved with him, not letting Severus penetrate him but keeping him close. After a few times, Severus grunted in frustration and broke the kiss. 

“What exactly is the problem here?” he asked, sounding more annoyed than ever. 

Harry smiled sweetly and pulled Severus into another heated kiss. “Maybe I just want to hear what you want to do to me?” 

“I _want_ to fuck you. I thought that part was obvious,” Severus stated, pushing himself up as he held Harry’s hips in place. His cock slipped in, just a little and it was all Harry could do to not sink down fully and take all of Severus in, but he knew that Severus liked the chase. 

“Mmm,” Harry moaned, holding himself up and squeezing around the head of Severus’s cock. Severus threw his head back and grunted, trying again to thrust up. Severus was panting, his eyes rolled back and his hands most likely leaving bruises on Harry’s hips. Harry let himself slip down a little further and he kissed and sucked on Severus’s exposed neck. 

Severus groaned deeply, his neck always a weak spot. “Uh, please, Harry, please,” he said and Harry immediately rewarded him by letting himself slide all the way down until Severus was fully seated in him. Harry looped his hands around Severus’s neck and began to move back up, ready to ride Severus hard until he came. 

“Wait!” Severus almost shouted, sounding panicked. “Ugh, please…give me a moment.” 

Harry stayed as still as possible, despite being incredibly turned on that Severus was already so close to coming. He wanted desperately for Severus to come, to feel that heat inside him, to know that it was _his_ body that did that to Severus. After what seemed like an eternity, Severus moved his hips, pumping a little into Harry’s body and that was all the permission Harry needed. He leaned back, putting his hands on Severus’s knees and pulled up until Severus’s cock was almost all the way out of his body before falling back down onto it, setting a quick rhythm. His felt his dressing gown slip down after a moment, felt it pooling around his hands and he could hear Severus groan at the sight. 

Severus’s hands slid from his hips to grip his arse, pulling him apart as he thrust up into Harry, quickly taking over the work of fucking and Harry was only too happy to let Severus use his body for his pleasure. The feeling was incredible and Harry lifted his head up a little from where it had been hanging down and the look of awe on Severus’s face, combined with the amazing feeling of being filled with Severus’s cock was enough to push Harry over the edge. He came so hard and so quickly that he did not even have time to warn Severus before he was coming all over his stomach. 

Severus trailed his hands up Harry’s back to his shoulders, bringing him forward into a gentle kiss, before hooking his hands over Harry’s shoulders and using them to pull Harry down hard onto him, again and again until Harry could feel Severus spilling himself inside him. Harry buried his face into Severus’s neck and let Severus catch his breath. Severus’s arms came up around him and he could feel Severus pressing soft kisses onto his face and Harry let the content feeling wash over him. 

He must have dozed off slightly because when he was next aware, Severus had already carried him most of the way into their bedroom. Harry started a little, surprised to find himself being moved and Severus shushed him gently, kissing him on the forehead as he laid Harry down in bed. As Harry watched sleepily, Severus pulled his glasses out of his pocket and laid them on the nightstand. From his opposite pocket, he removed both of Harry’s wands and slipped them under Harry’s pillow. Harry knew that Severus was well aware that Harry could not sleep without his wands under his pillow and his glasses close by, but he still found it incredibly sweet that Severus took the time to make sure everything was in its correct place. 

Harry could barely keep his eyes open as Severus pulled the blanket up to cover his shoulders. 

“Sev?” he mumbled. 

“Yes, Harry?” 

“I didn’t tease you too much, did I?” he asked worriedly. 

“No, not at all,” Severus said, turning off Harry’s lamp. 

“Do you feel better? I know this is always such a long day for you,” Harry said, unable to prevent the yawn that swallowed the end of his sentence. 

“Yes, you always take good care of me,” Severus said simply, smiling a little as he pushed Harry’s fringe off his forehead. 

Harry smiled shyly, snuggling farther into the blankets, happy to hear that Severus was happy. “And you’ll watch out for Teddy this year, won’t you?” he asked, wanting to lay his last worry down before he nodded off. 

Severus leaned down and gave Harry a soft, slow kiss that made him hum in contentment. “Yes, my darling, you know that I always take care of those that I love.” 

Harry sighed happily and fell into an easy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story! I really enjoyed writing it and I would love to know what you think.


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